4 Reasons Why You Should Still Go to Open Houses, Even If You’re Not Looking to Move

You know the drill. A “For Sale” sign pops up in your neighborhood and as soon as you see the open house you’re there.

We just can’t stand the curiosity, right? What’s the space look like, how much is it selling for? What does it mean for our home and what it might sell for one day?

According to ApartmentTherapy.com, it’s OK to go to visit Open Houses, even if you’re not in the market for a new home. Here’s why:

Open Houses Are Better than Pinterest

We can lust after décor ideas on Pinterest all day long, but that’s a long way from knowing what something would look like in our own homes. Walking through a home that shares a time period and/or architectural details with your own is like a real live spin through a Pinterest board.

You Learn What NOT to Do

Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but you can avoid making Very Bad Decisions that are hard to see when they’re right in front of you much more easily by taking note of what someone else has done.

If you’re thinking of a major change, say taking down a wall or converting a bedroom to a bathroom, other people’s houses are full of cautionary tales that we can keep in mind when we’re making those big decisions.

You Get a Reality Price Check

We put so much love and work into our houses, we may, just may tend to over-inflate their value in our minds. Visiting a house that’s similar to yours is a great way to adjust those expectations.

You Discover The Unicorn Doesn’t Exist

It’s easy to feel like everyone else’s home is perfect and our own homes fall far short

The biggest benefit in looking at other people’s homes is being reminded that every space has its challenges. There’s always a compromise: Maybe an awkwardly placed laundry, a cramped kitchen, an eyesore across the street.

REALTOR® Association of the Fox Valley : 433 Williamsburg Ave., Geneva, IL 60134 : 630.232.2360 : http://www.rafv.realtor