Our 6 tips for visiting homes like a true professional

Here are our 5 tips for quickly finding the ideal house or apartment for your family. Conduct your property search and visits like a real estate professional.

1 – Prepare your visits in advance so that nothing is overlooked

When an individual is looking for a property to rent or buy, it’s sometimes difficult to think of everything when visiting a property. To do this, it’s crucial to determine in advance all the factors that will make or break your decision. But when you’re not used to visiting homes, it’s sometimes hard not to miss something!

Changing your home is not something you can improvise. Whether you’re buying or renting, it’s important to make sure that the property you’re visiting meets the needs of the whole family.

What’s more, beyond the aesthetic aspect, or even the “coup de coeur”, we mustn’t forget the practical, but also the economic, energy and, of course, budgetary aspects.

It’s a good idea to prepare your visit in advance, so as not to let a potential crush take precedence over other very important criteria,

2 – Stick to your list of criteria

The search for a home is a serious matter. It’s not a question of wasting your time on useless visits. To ensure that you only visit properties that are likely to be of interest to you, make sure they meet all your criteria.

Beforehand, you’ll have drawn up a list of the characteristics of the property you’re looking for. To ensure that you don’t get overwhelmed by your research and visits, set up a checklist of all your criteria. Classify them by degree of importance (we’re often forced to make concessions). Are these criteria major or not? All of these are important things to consider before signing the lease agreement or the sales agreement. However, in the euphoria of research, it’s easy to forget what’s essential.

When you make an appointment to visit a property, make sure it meets your criteria, or at least those that are most important to you. If the proposed property doesn’t meet my criteria, do I need to visit it? Maybe not.

3 – Equip yourself when visiting a property

Visiting a property is not something you can improvise. You’ll need to take a few useful tools with you.

Without a tape measure, how do you know if your family’s closet will fit in that lovely living room? Without photos of the positive and negative points you noticed during your visit, how can you usefully recall your visit and then make an objective decision?

For all these reasons, we recommend that you take the following with you on your visit:

• the list of your criteria. At the end of your visit, take a look around. This will allow you to confirm whether or not the property meets your family’s needs.
• a measuring tape (to take all necessary measurements). Ask for confirmation of room size. These may appear larger or smaller than they really are, depending on their furnishings,
• a camera (or smartphone) to immortalize the property visited. You’ll be able to think about it at your leisure. Before taking pictures, don’t forget to ask permission!
• a compass to check the exposure of the main rooms and terrace. You can download the app on your smartphone.
• to write down. Some information and key figures are quickly forgotten once you get to the front door.

4 – Find out more about the area

When you move to a new place, you’re not just changing houses or apartments. First and foremost, we’re changing neighborhoods.

Of course, the characteristics of the property to be visited play a major role in the visits. However, the atmosphere of the neighborhood in which it is located is also crucial .

The services offered and the atmosphere of the neighborhood are of paramount importance when visiting. If you like a property, make sure you’re also comfortable in the neighborhood where it’s located. You’ll feel more at home, and your integration will be much easier!

Arrive early for your appointment, and don’t hesitate to take a stroll around the streets around the property you’re visiting. You’ll be able to ask any questions you may have about the neighborhood during your visit. You might want to ask around.

Return to the area several times, at different times of the day. You’ll be able to see the environment evolve throughout the day. You’ll get a feel for the neighborhood and see that it’s just what you’d expect, day or night!

See the different districts of Luxembourg-City

5 – Ask the right questions

Beyond your personal criteria, there are also many things to check during a real estate visit. These can vary between houses and apartments:

• brightness of the living rooms and bedrooms. This often goes hand in hand with southern, southwestern or southeastern exposure to the morning sun,
• insulation and type of heating. Don’t forget to ask for the copy of the energy passport (mandatory and valid for 10 years)
• electrical outlets and switchboard. Remember to check its age and the conformity of the electrical installation,
• the condition of common areas and the amount of charges if it’s a multi-family building,
• the date of construction of the building. Is there a ten-year warranty?
• the type of heating. Is the boiler regularly checked?
• humidity level, especially in basement rooms,
• ..

In addition, don’t hesitate to ask why the owners or tenants are moving out.

In the case of a purchase, how long has the owner held the property? This will give you an idea of its added value. This can give you an indication of a negotiating margin.

Learn more about the real estate market and asking prices.

6 – Make the most of your visit

Is the tour over? Debrief with the real estate agent at the end of the visit, regardless of how you feel about the property. What did you like, what did you dislike, what were the main points that prevented you from doing it? … This discussion is important to ensure that the agent understands your needs and can help you in your search. Don’t hesitate to confirm your search criteria.

Are you ready to make an offer? The real estate agent will be able to tell you whether or not there is room for negotiation on the sale price.

If you haven’t had a chance to discuss this with the agent beforehand, reassure him or her of your financial capabilities. If you already have a financing plan with a bank, let them know. You will prove your seriousness and encourage him to think of you for other houses or apartments more adapted.

In Luxembourg, beautiful products go very fast. Whether you’re buying or renting, it’s not unusual to have to make a decision immediately after a visit. with a proper offer. To make sure you don’t get spooked by all this formalism, make sure you have all the answers to your questions.
Need more information? Find here our complete file on housing in Luxembourg.