Buying Maine Real Estate What to Look for During a Showing When you attend a showing with your agent, the most important thing is not look at a house emotionally, but practically: inspect all its positives and negatives. Don't allow a broker to get you caught up in any drama. Explore every nook and cranny. Pick up rugs to examine the floor. Open closets and smell them. Do whatever is necessary to find out everything about the house's basic structure. Try to ignore any furnishings that don't come with the house. They won't help you make a sound decision. On your first showing you should look for a house that meets your basic requirements: Is it in the right location? Does it have enough bedrooms and bathrooms? Is there enough storage space? Is there parking? Is it in a safe area? If the house meets your basic requirements, start looking to fulfill your wish list: Is there an extra bedroom or bathroom? Is there a double vanity in the second bathroom? Is there a garden or deck? Is there a separate laundry room? Is there a basement or crawl space? Is the garage attached? Can the kids walk to school? Start with the general, and then move on to the specific. If you're still having trouble deciding, you might want to apply a simple rating system, such as assigning points according to the items most important to you. This should help you objectively differentiate among your choices.