10 Tips for Home Buyers in the Rain

Whoo doggies - that is cats and doggies. That's what it's "actively raining" right now in Whittier. And the song says, "It never rains in California... It pours, man it pours."

Every Wednesday, my real estate office has a caravan of homes on the market, where we get in our cars and collectively see a bunch of houses as a group. Today, while it was raining, we saw houses for sale in Whittier, La Habra Heights and La Mirada, ranging from a home in La Mirada that needs some TLC (Tender Loving Care), and is priced at $299,900, to an exquisitely gorgeous Friendly Hills home that EVERYBODY loved, priced at $749,900. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful home that one is! The view of the back yard from the living room takes your breath away.

While I was out in the weather with my buddies from the office, I started noticing how the rain was affecting our caravan. The gorgeous home in Friendly Hills has several small utility buildings in the back yard. Normally, everyone in the group would go out and quickly inspect each building. Not today. The rain kept all but a few of us from peeking inside one of the sheds. What I discovered was a nicely built structure that is wired with electricity, and could be used as a hobby room, work room or gardening shed. Add some drywall to the walls and ceiling and you would have a nice, but private, home office. The listing agent had a great idea that it could also be used as a sewing room or as a scrapbooking room.

10 Tips for Home Buyers in the Rain

1. Bring an umbrella.
2. Wear your galoshes.
3. Wear a rain coat.
4. When you are looking at homes in the rain, it is a perfect time to check for leaks in the ceiling.
5. Check to see how the rain gutters run.
6. Look at the back and front yards, as well as the sides of the property to see if water pools where it shouldn't.
7. Does the front porch have an area that shields you from getting wet while you are taking out your keys to get inside?
8. Can you go from the garage to the inside of the house without getting wet?
9. Go into all the structures on the property so you can see what they look like in the rain.
10. Finally, think about how the inside of the home makes you feel during a storm. Do you get a warm feeling when you look at the fireplace and imagine a burning fire? Is it a home where you would feel comfortable curling up with a good book and a hot mug of coffee or cocoa?

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About the author: The above Real Estate information on Viewing Homes for Sale was provided by Bob Willis, a locally recognized Realtor®. Bob can be reached via email at bob@willisrealtor.com or by phone at (562) 639-9400.

For Whittier real estate, see Whittier Welcomes You. Want to have MLS access to beat other buyers to your dream home? Sign up with no obligation at my ListingBook website.

I service the following towns in the greater Whittier area: La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Norwalk and Santa Fe Springs.