The 10-Minute Test

The 10-Minute Test: What You Can Learn Before You Even Step Inside

When you’re going to see a house, try showing up 10 minutes early. Not to walk around inspecting the foundation, not to peek through the windows, and definitely not to sit in your car scrolling through the listing photos for the 14th time…

Just sit there.

I know it sounds ridiculously simple, but you can learn a surprising amount about a house, and more importantly, the neighbourhood around it in the 10 minutes before your showing even starts. It’s something I naturally find myself doing as a Realtor. You spend enough time driving from house to house and eventually you start noticing the things that aren’t in the listing. Because the listing will tell you there are three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a renovated kitchen. But it probably won’t tell you that everyone parks on the street because their garages are full… or that the street becomes a shortcut between two major roads… or that there are kids riding bikes from driveway to driveway and neighbours stopping to talk to each other - those things matter too. So, what exactly am I looking at?

Firstly, the street itself:

Is it busy? Are cars flying down it or does traffic seem pretty slow? Is there a stop sign nearby that means you’ll hear cars braking and accelerating all day? Look at where people are parking. If every driveway has two cars plus another two parked on the road, that tells you something about how people actually use their garages and driveways. And if parking already looks tight at 2:00pm on a Tuesday, imagine what parking would be like when you invite your whole family over for Thanksgiving dinner.

I also pay attention to who is outside. Are people walking dogs? Kids playing? Someone out gardening? People coming and going from nearby homes?

None of those things are automatically good or bad, but they just give you a better sense of what living there might actually feel like.

Second, turn the car off. What can you hear?

Highway noise? Trains? Airplanes? Construction? A nearby school? A barking dog that apparently has some very strong opinions?

Noise is one of those things that can disappear when you’re excited about a house. You walk in, start picturing your furniture in the living room, fall in love with the kitchen and suddenly the hum from the highway doesn't seem like such a big deal.

Maybe it genuinely doesn't bother you - but I'd rather you notice it before you buy the house than after.

Next, really look at the location:

One of the biggest mistakes buyers can make is becoming so focused on the house that they forget they're also buying the location. So look at the houses beside it. Across from it. Behind it. How are they maintained? How close do they feel? Are the backyards private? Are there apartment buildings overlooking the property? Is there a commercial plaza behind that row of trees that looked like a nice little forest in the listing photos?

I also look at what’s happening a few houses down. Sometimes the thing that affects how you feel about a property isn't actually on the property at all.

Lastly, repeat this at a different time of day:

If you really like a house, go back. A street at 11:00 a.m. on a Wednesday can feel completely different at 5:30 p.m. Or 9:00 on a Saturday night. Drive your potential commute. See what school drop-off looks like. Check whether street parking becomes a free-for-all in the evening. Roll down your windows.

Remember thought, you’re not trying to catch the neighbourhood doing something wrong. You’re just trying to understand what your normal life would actually look like there.

Because you can change a lot about a house: you can paint, renovate the kitchen, replace the flooring, change the light fixtures and eventually get rid of that bathroom tile you swore you could live with. But you can’t move the highway, make the street wider, change what’s behind your backyard or control how the neighbourhood functions around you.

That’s why sometimes the most valuable part of a showing happens before we even unlock the front door. So next time you’re going to see a house you’re excited about, give yourself an extra 10 minutes. Park the car, put your phone down and just… look around.

You might learn more than you expect!