What to Look for When You Walk Through a Home

You found a listing you love online. The photos look great. The price feels right. Now it's time to actually walk through it in person.

As a Broker working with buyers across London and St. Thomas, Ontario, I walk through homes with clients every week. Here's what I tell every one of them to pay attention to.

This is the part that matters most. Photos can hide a lot. Here's what to pay attention to when you're standing in the home, not just scrolling past it.

Start Outside Before You Even Go In

Look at the roofline. Is it straight, or does it sag anywhere? Check the foundation for cracks, especially long horizontal ones. Look at the grading around the house. Does the ground slope away from the foundation, or toward it? Water flowing toward the house is a problem waiting to happen.

Walk the driveway and walkways too. Big cracks or heaving concrete can mean costly repairs down the road.

Check for Water Anywhere

Water damage is one of the most expensive things to fix, so look for it everywhere:

• Water stains on ceilings, especially near bathrooms, kitchens, and any spot below a second floor
• Soft or bouncy spots in flooring
• A musty smell in the basement (a big clue, even if you don't see anything)
• Peeling paint or bubbling drywall
• Efflorescence, that white chalky residue on basement walls, which means moisture has been coming through

Test the Windows and Doors

Open a few windows, not just look at them. Do they open smoothly, or do they stick? Old, worn out windows can mean a big cost to replace them all.

Check that doors close properly and latch without you having to force them. Doors that stick or don't line up with their frames can be a sign the house has shifted or settled.

Look Up and Down

Most buyers only look straight ahead. Train yourself to look up and down too.

Look up: ceilings for cracks, stains, or sagging. Look down: flooring for unevenness, soft spots, or gaps between boards. An uneven floor can mean structural issues.

Turn On the Taps

Run the water in every bathroom and the kitchen. Check the water pressure. Let it run for a minute and see how long it takes to get hot. Look under every sink for signs of past leaks, like water stains or warped wood.

Flush the toilets too. It sounds simple, but it tells you a lot.

Check the Age of the Big Stuff

Ask your agent for the age of the furnace, air conditioner, water heater, and roof. These are the big ticket items, and knowing their age helps you budget for what's coming.

A furnace near the end of its life isn't a dealbreaker, but it should factor into your offer or your plans for the first year.

Bring Your Phone and Actually Use It

Take photos and videos of everything, even the stuff that seems boring. You'll be seeing a lot of homes, and it's easy to forget details. A quick video walkthrough helps you compare later, and gives you something to look back on with a clearer head once you're not standing in the excitement of the showing.

Open Every Closet and Cupboard

This isn't just about storage space, although that matters too. Opening closets can reveal water stains, mustiness, or signs of pests you wouldn't otherwise notice. It also gives you a real sense of how much storage the home actually has, which matters more once you've moved in.

Think About Noise

Stand still for a minute in a few rooms and just listen. Can you hear a busy road? Neighbours? A furnace or fridge that's louder than it should be? Noise is easy to miss on a quick walkthrough but hard to live with every day.

Don't Skip the Basement 

These spaces get overlooked, but they tell you a lot about a home's condition. Look for signs of moisture, cracks in the foundation walls, insulation quality, and any evidence of pests.

Trust Your Gut, But Get the Facts Too

A home can feel right the moment you walk in, and that feeling matters. But feelings don't replace a proper home inspection. Once you're seriously considering a home, a licensed inspector will catch things even the most careful walkthrough will miss, like electrical issues, roof condition, or problems hidden behind walls.

Walking through a home with a clear checklist takes some of the emotion out of the process and helps you make a decision you'll feel good about long after moving day.

If you're getting ready to start viewing homes in London or St. Thomas and want a second set of eyes with you, I'm always happy to walk through a home together and point out what to look for in person.

Milica Cvetkovic | Broker | The Realty Firm Inc., Brokerage 519-871-4948 | milica@therealtyfirm.ca London & St. Thomas, Ontario

Disclaimer: This blog post is for general information only and is not a substitute for a professional home inspection. Always have a licensed home inspector evaluate a property before finalizing your purchase.