What I Notice in the First 5 Minutes Inside a House
After 20 years selling real estate in Bellingham, more than 1,000 home sales, and about 700 home inspections earlier in my career, I’ve walked through (and around, and crawled under, and on top of) a lot of houses.
Through all that experience, I’ve learned something interesting: Every house tells a story.
Usually within the first 5 minutes, I have a pretty good sense of how a house was built, how it’s performed, how it’s been cared for, what areas I want to look at more closely, and what things might concern me.
It’s often the stuff homeowners don’t expect.
Before I Get To The Front Door
Curb appeal – that first impression when you and I see the house from the sidewalk – says so much.
I’m looking at paint, siding type and condition, roof type and condition, failed window seals, grading and drainage, trees and shrubs’ proximity to the siding and roof, cracked concrete surfaces, condition and quality of the seal on the garage door… and about 5 other things.
It takes me roughly 10 seconds to inventory those things and decide if I want to look more closely.
That walk up from where we parked and got out of our cars is the first page of the story we’re about to read. It sets a tone, and tells me what level to set my alert at.
I Notice Smells
When we open the front door, the very first thing I notice is the smell.
Is it neutral and healthy? Or is it wet, stale, smoky, moldy?
Do the sellers have plug-in air “fresheners” all over the house.
(I was on a broker’s caravan yesterday – a tour where a number of brokers go from one listing to another, offering feedback and pricing opinions.)
In the most expensive house on the tour, all of us stepped in to literally a wall of artificial scent. There were plug-ins in nearly every room.
It was, if I can be honest, sickening, literally. More than one of us could not stay in the house for more than a couple of minutes, or we felt we’d become sick.
It also begs the thought from buyers, “What are they trying to hide?”
Fresh bread or cookies, maybe a little potpourri, fine. But don’t go crazy with plug-ins, spray, incense, or other such tactics. They do more harm to your sale than good.
I Notice the Things That Are Off
A floor that slopes slightly. A door that won't stay open. An unusual transition between rooms. A newer section of siding. Three different configurations of electrical outlets.
None of these automatically means there’s a problem.
But they make me curious.
Houses evolve. Owners remodel them, repair them, add onto them and sometimes improvise. Mismatched components, amateur repairs that don’t blend, can point to signs of trouble.
Some Ugly Things Don't Scare Me
This surprises people.
Old carpet? Fine.
Ugly paint? Who cares.
A dated kitchen from 1987? I can work with that.
Cosmetic problems are usually measurable. We can estimate what they'll cost to change, and buyers can often see past them.
I'm more interested in the things buyers can't easily see or understand: drainage problems, questionable wiring, chronic moisture, foundation movement, failing sewer lines, or years of deferred maintenance.
I Notice Good Ownership, Too
Well-maintained houses have clues everywhere.
Clean gutters. Properly extended downspouts. Fresh furnace grates and filters. Organized and labeled electrical panels. Thoughtful repairs. Clean crawlspaces. Service records.
None of these guarantees a perfect house. There is no such thing.
But collectively, they tell me something about how the owner treated the property.
Experience Changes What You See
I don't inspect homes anymore. That's a job for a licensed home inspector.
But I can't really turn off the part of my brain that spent years crawling underneath houses, climbing onto roofs and figuring out how buildings work.
And that's useful when I'm helping someone sell.
Sometimes the smartest thing is to fix an issue before going on the market. Sometimes it's better to disclose it and price accordingly. And sometimes the scary-looking thing isn't nearly as important as everyone thinks.
Knowing the difference can save a seller a lot of money, stress and surprises.
If you're thinking about selling a home in Bellingham or Whatcom County and want me to walk through it with you, schedule a 15-minute call. We can talk about the house, what I would pay attention to, and what I'd do before putting it on the market.
