Touring homes in Grants Pass or Southern Oregon? Look beyond the staging and keep a written list of questions about how each property would work for your daily life. Storage, daylight, signs of moisture, roof records and outside noise are useful starting points.

A showing helps you decide what to investigate; it does not replace a professional inspection. For acreage and rural homes, also review our rural-property buyer guide. Explore Southern Oregon communities or contact Byron Pardo to plan your search.

1. Storage Units

Storage spaces are extremely valuable assets, and yet they are often overlooked. It's easy to be blown away by a home's massive living room, kitchen, or master's bedroom, but if storage spaces are scarce, your newly bought home may end up looking like a cluttered mess once you move in. Make sure there's enough built-in spaces for you to stow away your vacuum cleaner, chinaware collection, and beloved linens.

Ask about hidden storage areas in every room, and make sure that they are well-maintained. Just because storage areas are only used to store things doesn't mean that they're allowed to be in poor condition.

2. Where the house is facing

You may be wondering why it is important to know whether a house is facing north or south. The answer may not bother you during cooler months, but if the sun hits your house in all the wrong places during hotter days--summers in your home can be unbearably warm.

To avoid this, ask the listing agent or the owner about the sources of sunlight into the house. You don't want a house that gets scorchingly hot in the summer, but you also don't want all the walls blocking the sunshine and making the house extremely dark during gloomy days.

3. Moisture clues and follow-up questions

Look for visible staining, peeling finishes or musty odors in accessible areas. Ask about known leaks, drainage problems and past repairs, and review available records with your inspector. Fresh paint alone is not evidence that someone has concealed a defect.

Do not rely on a showing to rule out moisture problems or flood exposure. Have concerns evaluated by an appropriate professional before drawing conclusions.

4. Roof condition and maintenance records

Ask about the roof’s age, materials, past repairs and any available maintenance records. Observe what is visible from ground level and note questions for a qualified home inspector or roofing contractor. Do not climb onto the roof or enter an attic or other unsafe area during a showing.

A stain or other visible concern calls for further evaluation; it does not establish the cause or the cost of a repair. A home viewing is not a substitute for a professional inspection.

5. Soundproofing

If you turn off all the noise from inside the house, can you still hear what's going on outside? If you’re a light sleeper, or someone who often works from home, loud noises from your neighbor’s houses or the street outside can be intolerable. When viewing a home, move past what you see and bring your attention to what you hear as well. Listen closely and make sure that the house is adequately soundproofed. If possible, try visiting the house during the day and night and check if you like what you hear, or in this case--what you don’t.