Test Drive A House Today

We test drive cars before we buy them and we try on clothes before we make a purchase, so why not test drive your next home? Thousands of people are doing it and finding it's a great chance to examine the home carefully.

by James R. Lindamood

Home owners and prospective home owners have one thing in common, they tend to love home improvement television shows. Networks like TLC and HGTV have given families around the nation thousands of tips, ideas, and even plans they can incorporate into their new home. So, why not follow the trend and consider spending a night in the home you are looking to buy? Shows such as “Sleep on It” are profiling consumers who spend a few nights taking a test drive before making the final decision on a home.

In many markets this practice is become popular. Buyers are concerned about finding the right house for their needs almost as much as they are concerned about finding one in their price range. It’s great to look at a house during a real estate showing but unless you have been given time to really look around you won’t have a true feel for the property until you spend a few nights sleeping under the roof.

Of course spending a couple of nights in the home might give you a bad feeling and cause you to back out of the deal. That’s still a much better alternative than realizing a few weeks after moving in that the floor slants or that the walls aren’t straight. You might find that the home is exactly what you hoped for and be ready to sign the papers the next day. It all depends on your experience during the overnight stay.

It’s not just buyers that are asking to do this. Many homeowners are offering to let the perspective buyers spend a few nights in their home. For some it’s the only way to get out of the mortgage they are in before they become another victim of foreclosure.