This template is intended for use when you are visiting houses you are considering to buy, presumably after shortlisting a number of houses from real estate listings on the internet, in newspapers or from real estate agents. My wife and I have moved 10 times and have used it to evaluate houses in Boston, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Honolulu, and Cleveland, and apartments in Singapore, Sydney and Cincinnati, among others. We have refined it along the way and it has proven to work well. In order to easily compare houses after your visits it has been limited to a single page per house. I built it on an MS Excel spreadsheet so you customize it yourself or input and printout the data after your visits.

1. Address
List Price Sq Ft Attic Electric: CirBkr or Fuses 220v Y/N
Yr Built # Stories Hot Water Heater Gallons Age
External Wood/Brk/AlumSid Attractiveness/Condition Laundry Space/Sz/Loc
Extras
Cath ceiling/Rm Ceiling Fans/Rm
Bedrooms/# Storage
Master Fireplaces/Rm
Sz/Ceiling Light? Basement Y/N Other:
Cath Ceiling? Fin/UnFin
Walk-in Closet? Sump Pump?
BR2 Sz/CL/WIC Patio/Deck/FLR/SIP
BR3 Sz/CL/WIC Fence Y/N Type
BR4 Sz/CL/WIC Landscaping
Bathrooms #
Bath1 F/H Cond Bath3 F/H Cond Appliances Y/N & Color Condition
Bath2 F/H Cond Bath4 F/H Cond Range/G/E/Radiant
Kitchen Sz/Color Cooktop/G/E/Rad
Cabinets/Storage Vent or Hood
Counter Space Refrigerator
Layout +/- Microwave
Living Rm Sz/CL Garbage Disposal
Dining Rm Sz/CL Dish Washer
Family Rm Sz/CL Garage 1/2 /3/extras
Other Rms Sz/CL Lot Sq Ft
View/Location
Flood Zone?
Flooring Carpet/Wood/Tile/Vyl Condition Heating Central AC Y/N
Oil/Gas/Elec/Baseboard # Units
Overall +s Overall -s

2. `

3. House Hunting Template
This template is intended for use when you are visiting houses you are considering to buy, presumably after shortlisting a number of
houses from real estate listings on the internet, in newspapers or from real estate agents.
My wife and I have moved 10 times and have used it to evaluate houses in Boston, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Honolulu, and Cleveland,
and apartments in Singapore, Sydney and Cincinnati, among others. We have refined it along the way and it has proven to work
well. In order to easily compare houses after your visits it has been limited to a single page per house.
I built it on an MS Excel spreadsheet so you customize it yourself or input and printout the data after your visits.
For example, in Singapore we found that 90% of the nicer high rise apartments had kitchens that were exposed to outside weather
and not air conditioned, which was a big deal since I love to cook and we didn’t want a live-in maid. In Hawaii we learned that
termites are a very big deal. Some houses used aluminum 2x4s or special preventive treatment systems, and wood siding or stucco
touching the ground was a big no-no.
For upper-end houses you may need more bedrooms & bathrooms, or pre-wired A/V for speakers or home theaters, or wet bars, or
kitchens with large islands, walk-in pantries and built-in TVs, or perhaps a boat dock, swimming pool, hot tub, built-in grill, or central
vac.
For moderate, less expensive or rural homes you may have gravel, rather than paved driveways, an above ground pool, or
outbuildings and barns. Or perhaps a security system should be included or a septic system or well rather than city water and sewer.
I didn’t include most of the things that would be included in a home inspection, such as the quality of the roof or foundation, or the
septic system, that would be evaluated later, after you have found the house you like.
Good luck with your house hunting!
Mike McGaughey
mjmgwiz@gmail.com