House tour checklist
Last reviewed 16 October 2026 · by Eddy Hwang
Most showings are short and busy. Decide in advance what you will look at, then write scores down before you get to the next house. This list is a starting point; trim it to what matters to you.
Bring
- Your phone with TourLedger open on the home you are visiting.
- A tape measure, for the fridge space, washer space, the bed wall and the front door width. Floor plan dimensions are often rounded.
- A small flashlight for under sinks, closets and the electrical panel.
- A compass app, to note which way the main windows face.
Test, do not just look
- Water. Run the kitchen tap and a shower, hot and cold. Flush a toilet. Watch how quickly the pressure recovers and how long hot water takes.
- Under sinks. Open the cabinet. Look for stains, warped boards, buckets or fresh paint in just one spot.
- Windows and doors. Open and close a few. Check that they latch, and look at the seals and sills for condensation marks.
- Noise. Stand in the bedroom with the windows closed for a minute, then open. Note traffic, neighbors, elevators and appliances.
- Switches and outlets. Try a few. Count outlets where your desk, TV and kitchen appliances will go.
Look for signs of water and wear
- Ceiling stains, especially below bathrooms and near exterior walls.
- Musty smell in basements, closets or under carpets.
- Floors that slope or bounce, doors that stick, cracks that run diagonally from window or door corners.
- Outside: gutters and downspouts, the roof line as seen from the street, and whether the ground slopes away from the walls.
Write what you saw in the notes rather than a diagnosis. “Brown ring on ceiling under upstairs bath” is useful to an inspector later; “probably a leak” is a guess.
Ask
- How old are the roof, water heater and heating or cooling system?
- Are there association (HOA) fees, rules, or special assessments that are planned or pending?
- What are the typical utility costs?
- Has there been water damage or flooding, and was it repaired?
- Is it all right to take photos? Ask before you photograph inside someone’s home.
Things you can change and things you cannot
Paint, fixtures and even a kitchen can be changed later. Location, the street, noise from outside, the direction the windows face and the basic layout mostly cannot. When two homes score close, give extra attention to the criteria in the second group. One way to do that is to set those to importance 4 or 5.
Go back at a different time
A street can feel very different on a weekday evening, a Saturday afternoon or in heavy rain. If a home makes your shortlist, visit the area again at another time and update the scores. The scorecard keeps the date of your first visit; add the second visit to the notes.
Turn this into your scorecard
The starter criteria in the scorecard follow the groups above. Rename them, delete the ones you do not care about, and add your own, such as “Space for a home office” or “Stairs we can manage”.