What I look at in an open house (besides the finishes)
Walk into almost any open house and you'll see people gathered around the same things: the countertops, the light fixtures, the tile in the primary bath. Those are the details the listing photos were built around, so it makes sense they catch your eye first.
But finishes are also the easiest part of a house to change. A new backsplash is a weekend project. A dark room, a cramped layout, or a busy street outside your bedroom window are a different story. Here's what I pay attention to while everyone else is admiring the countertops.
The light
Notice which way the windows face. A room that glows at four in the afternoon can feel dark at nine in the morning, and open houses usually happen at one time of day.
If a home makes it onto your short list, try to see it again at a different hour. Pay attention to where you'd want to drink your coffee, where you'd work, and which rooms you'd actually spend time in once the sun moves.
How the rooms connect
Walk the house like it's a normal Tuesday. Come in the door you'd actually use, carrying imaginary groceries. Where do they land? How far is the kitchen from where you'd park?
Then think about sound. Can you hear the living room from the bedroom? Is the laundry right next to where someone might be sleeping or working? A layout that looks open in photos can feel very different when two people are home doing different things.
Where your furniture would go
Count the walls, not just the square feet. A big room with a door on every side and windows on the rest can be surprisingly hard to furnish. There may be nowhere for a sofa to go that doesn't block a path.
If you have a piece you love, like a long sofa, a dining table, or a bed frame, know its measurements before you go. It's one of the most practical things you can bring to a showing.
The storage
Open the closets. Look under the sinks. Ask yourself where the coats, the vacuum, the suitcases, and the holiday boxes would actually live.
Storage rarely shows up in listing photos, but it shapes how a home feels to live in. A house without it tends to look cluttered no matter how beautiful the finishes are.
Outside the front door
Before you leave, stand on the street for a minute. Listen. Is there traffic noise? Are there sidewalks for an evening walk? How do the neighboring homes feel?
You can change almost anything about a house except where it sits. The block is part of what you're buying.
What's expensive to change
Some parts of a home cost far more to fix than to notice: the roof, the windows, the heating and cooling system, and how water moves around the house when it rains. You won't diagnose any of these at an open house, and you don't need to. That's what an inspection is for.
But it's worth noticing the age of things and asking questions. When was the roof replaced? How old is the HVAC? Is there any history of water in the crawl space or basement? The answers help you understand what you might be budgeting for in the next few years, beyond the purchase price.
The finishes still matter
None of this means the pretty things don't count. A kitchen you love walking into every morning is worth something. The point is to see the whole house, not just the parts designed to be photographed. The finishes are what you notice first. The rest is what you live with.
If you're starting to tour homes and want a second set of eyes, I'm always happy to walk through with you.
I'm Jazmin, a real estate advisor in Nashville with Dojo Mod at Compass. I help people look at the feeling and potential of a home alongside the numbers, so they can find what genuinely fits.