When you find a home that you think could be “the one,” you likely visit it more than once to confirm your feelings about the place. However, some home buying experts suggest that you should actually visit a prospective home at various points throughout the day in order to really get a feel for what goes on in and around the home in different settings.
While a breezy and sunny Saturday afternoon open house may have you thinking one way about the home, the traffic in the neighborhood during after-school hours, that nearby train that rolls by on a regular schedule or the way the community feels after dark could have you thinking otherwise.
Timing is everything when it comes to buying a new home—in more ways than one! Visit a prospective home at these times of day to get the full feel of what the home and neighborhood have to offer.
7 a.m. to 9 a.m. (M-F): The Morning Commute
This is perhaps one of the most important times of day for you to see what traffic in and around your prospective neighborhood is like. Actually drive your work commute and track the time it takes to get from the driveway of the new home to your office. If the time it takes is too long, or if traffic is completely unbearable, it may have you rethinking your choice.
10 a.m. to noon (M-F): The Everyday Sounds
Is construction going on in the neighborhood, or is there a noisy construction site nearby? Is some form of public transportation (train, plane, etc.) making excessive amounts of noise on its regular route? Do nearby dogs bark all day long? These are things you will want to know before it’s too late to decide that they bother you.
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. (M-F): After School
Observe the routines of the schoolchildren in your neighborhood, and make sure that getting to and from school safely will be feasible for your child. If your yard shares a curb with a bus stop, make sure you are OK with groups of children gathering in front of your house in the mornings. If the home is within walking distance of the school, be sure that your children are comfortable with the walk. Also, this is another time when noting the traffic patterns nearby could be beneficial.
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. (M-F): After Work
Similar to the morning commute, you should also check the traffic patterns that you will be experiencing when returning home from work in the evenings. This applies to get a feel for the situation both when you are driving in traffic, and when traffic is driving by your home. If you realize that the home exists on a busy thoroughfare for after work commutes, then this could be a deciding factor in your home buying decision.
9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Friday and Saturday): Nighttime Noise
One of the last things you would want to discover about your new home after moving in is that you neighbors like to have loud parties every weekend—or worse, during the week. Check your home’s nightly noise level by paying it a visit during the time that you think you would typically be settling in for bed. You can also get a feel for the safety of the neighborhood at night.
12 a.m.-Until: The Wee Hours
When you are fast asleep trying to get your rest for tomorrow’s big meeting, are there any regularly-occurring sounds in the a.m. hours that are going to disturb you? Using a previous example, a midnight train that blows its horn yards from your bedroom window may not bother you during the day, but what about when it is lights out?
Paying a visit to a prospective home at as many varying times through the day and night as you can could make or break your decision as to whether that home is right for you. Of course, if you cannot make it out to visit the home at two o’clock in the morning or during rush hour, you can always ask the current owners (if they are still living there) if they have had any issues with noise or traffic.
For more home buying and selling tips, continue to follow the Ryan Roberts Realtor blog! If you are interested in viewing listings in the Auburn and Opelika area, contact Ryan at 334-750-9872 or email [email protected]!
