Home Tour Checklist: How to get the most out of the upcoming Parade/Showcase of Homes

If you are thinking about building a new home, buying a home, or remodeling your existing home, you will want to put a home tour event on your calendar. A Parade (or Showcase) of Homes can help you decide which finishes, styles, and floor plans you like best; it’s also a great opportunity for you to connect with the perfect builder (hint, hint… check out Cypress Homes). If you aren’t prepared, a home tour can be overwhelming so we put together a simple checklist to help maximize your home tour experience.

Plan your route ahead of time

All home tour events will publish a map showing you all the available homes you can visit.

First you should determine what types of homes you want to visit: Are you more interested in Ranch or 2-Story homes? What is your price range? It doesn’t hurt to look at homes over or under your budget because you can always gather new ideas and depending on your loan options and interest rates, you might be able to afford more or less than you think. If you know you want a certain square footage, it makes a lot of sense to view homes within a few hundred square feet of your ideal size.

Decide how many homes you want to go through. Plan for 20 to 30 minutes in each home plus travel time; you may even want to plan a meal break. Pick out the top 2 to 5 homes that you absolutely have to see and a choose to visit additional homes based on route convenience.

there are a few things you’ll want to bring with you

• A pen and notebook are highest on the priority list. If you visit more than 3 homes, your memory will start blending all the details together so you will definitely want to jot down the features that stand out at each location. At Cypress Homes we always provide you with blank notepads, pens, and helpful info sheets; so if you don’t want to bring your own, just plan on visiting a Cypress Home early in your route.
• Taking pictures may or may not be permitted so you should always check the home tour rules before-hand or check with the host in each home.
• Make sure you dress appropriately. Some parades occur during the winter months where it can be frigid outside, but many houses can be quite warm inside.
• If you are visiting several homes you’ll want to have some snacks and beverages to keep in the car (No food or drink will be allowed in the homes).
• Make sure you wear comfortable shoes that are easy to put on and take off. Feel free to bring your own pair of booties, or just hang onto the first pair to be reused all day.

Have fun and don’t be shy

There are experts in every home — You’ll be right in front of builders, realtors, interior designers, mortgage lenders, and other construction professionals that want you to ask questions. Take advantage of this opportunity! Most of the builders would love to share additional information with you.

Remember to be clean and courteous

Many of these homes have already been sold or will soon be sold to a family that is excited to move into their brand new home; make sure you leave the home in its brand new condition.

Lastly, please make room in your schedule to visit a Cypress Home. We do our very best to build homes that families will love. This includes everything from attractive designs to energy efficiency. We’ve been a top 3 finalist in the Post-Crescent’s “Best of the Valley” Readers’ Choice Awards every year since 2011 — We take a lot of pride in building homes that are extremely functional and equally beautiful.