How to use showings well — defining deal-breakers, taking useful notes, and looking past finishes to the bones of a Guelph home.
Showings are your chance to test a property against your real life. With limited time in each home, preparation and focus matter.
1. Define your priorities
Re-read your needs and wants list and revisit your budget before each set of showings. Name your deal-breakers — no parking, a major renovation you don't want, a busy arterial road — so you can assess quickly and fairly.
2. Take notes and photos
After four homes in one afternoon, details blur. Note key features, impressions and questions. Photograph or video room sizes, layout and anything that stands out, where the seller permits it.
3. Examine the details
- · Condition of floors, walls and ceilings
- · Quality of appliances and fixtures
- · Signs of wear, leaks, moisture or structural movement
- · Open cabinets, closets and doors — storage is easy to overlook
- · In older Guelph homes: roof age, furnace, wiring, windows, basement drainage
- · In condos and townhouses: fees, reserve fund and what the fee covers
Showing checklist — use one per home
- Address and asking price
- First impression of the exterior (1–10)
- First impression of the interior (1–10)
- Three pros
- Three cons
- Took photos or a video walkthrough
- Overall: no way / maybe / very interested / it's the one
If a home stands out, say so early. Carmen digs into the favourites — history, permits, comparables and known issues — because one of life's biggest purchases deserves a detailed look.
This guide is educational and reviewed periodically. It is not legal, financial, tax, mortgage or inspection advice.
Next step
Questions about your own Guelph search?
Carmen is happy to talk it through — financing, neighbourhoods, offers or just where to start.