Should You Try Before You Buy?

Real estate’s newest trend is try before you buy…and we don’t just mean taking a tour or walking the neighborhood! Instead, a handful of listings are offering prospective buyers the opportunity to stay a night, hang out with the neighbors, and even cook a meal to test out the kitchen.

While these can be great ways to get acquainted with life’s biggest purchase (after all, we practically spend more time trying on shoes than we do a new home!), it’s important to note that we don’t expect this to expand to the majority of listings anytime soon.

Instead, we often recommend that prospective buyers tour the home a couple of times, and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Sellers can typically provide additional information about the systems and appliances in their homes (and we always recommend a home inspection too!). Additionally, we suggest that you visit the home at different times of day to get the best sense of the neighborhood. A quiet community during the day can become a bustling neighborhood in the evening!

Wall Street Journal covered the trend in depth here.