When searching for a new home, you’re probably looking for a new community as well. This is where you’ll walk your dog, connect with neighbors, watch your children play, and unwind after a long day. The surrounding area will be where you grocery shop, visit the doctor, dine out, and likely where you and your family members work and go to school. Long story short, home extends beyond just the four walls of your house, so it’s important to schedule a neighborhood tour of any communities you’re considering.
This kind of tour gives you the opportunity to explore the area in person. You can walk the streets and tour the homes, while also discovering any onsite or nearby amenities. There’s a lot that can be learned online, but nothing quite beats the experience of seeing where you might live with your own eyes.
Let’s discuss the steps to planning and taking a successful neighborhood tour.
Before the tour:
1. Identify your priorities
Before you select which neighborhoods you want to tour, it’s important to first articulate what you’re looking for in a community. Ask yourself some questions about what you want or need for your lifestyle, such as:
- How far are you comfortable commuting to work?
- Are local schools important? If so, what specific qualities are you looking for—academic rankings, class sizes, extracurricular offerings?
- Would you rather live closer to the city center, or does a quieter, more private setting suit you better?
- What sort of amenities or businesses would you like to have nearby? This could include restaurants, shopping malls, medical facilities, libraries, gyms, and others.
- How do you plan on getting around? Do you need a neighborhood with easy access to major highways, or do you prefer close proximity to public transit options?
Once you determine your community must-haves, you can narrow down your search to just a few options that check the boxes on your wish list. One way to do so is by chatting with our New Home Specialists—they’ll take your wish list and pinpoint neighborhoods that fit your needs.
2. Do some initial research
Once you’ve identified a few neighborhoods that match your needs, conduct some preliminary research by visiting their community webpages or masterplan sites. Make a list of initial pros and cons that you can reference as you’re touring. Those points could be reinforced or adjusted once you visit the communities in person!
Additionally, look at online maps to scope out the location and surrounding area. Can you identify the closest hospital, grocery store, airport, schools, and other amenities or services on your must-have list? And don’t forget about entertainment! Pinpoint nearby shops, restaurants, museums, theaters, parks, and more to find what could be future hangout spots. The better idea you have of the area, the easier it can be to imagine a potential life there.
3. Schedule your tour and plot your route
Book your tour either online or by phone, and make sure to ask a few logistical questions while you’re at it. Are there any events, construction, or road closures you should be aware of? Are the model homes and any listings you want to see open? Where is the best place to park?
Plot out your tour route in advance, prioritizing the features you most want to see. Consider model homes, available listings, parks, rec centers, and other amenities. Allow yourself plenty of time for each stop—it’ll be tough to get a good perspective on the neighborhood if you’re rushing through it. If you’re visiting multiple communities in one day, organize your route geographically to avoid backtracking.
During the tour:
4. Stop by the Sales Center
If the community has a dedicated Sales Center, be sure to make that your first stop. This is likely where you’ll meet a sales associate for your appointment. These helpful representatives are your go-to resources for the neighborhood and can answer questions you may have about the area. Chat with them for a more personal perspective on the community, asking where they eat lunch or grab coffee, what they do for fun nearby, how the local traffic is, and what they’ve learned from working (and possibly living) in the area.
5. Tour open model homes
Many of our communities across the country offer model homes to tour. They’re typically furnished and decorated by our in-house design team, which can help provide context (and inspiration!) for how a floor plan might function in real life. When planning to tour a model, follow this checklist to help you prepare.
As you’re touring, pay attention to how the floor plan feels to you. Can you imagine cooking dinner in the kitchen? Is there enough natural light in the living areas? Does the covered patio seem big enough to accommodate your outdoor furniture?
6. Explore available listings
If you’re visiting a community with move-in ready homes, you may be able to tour some of those as well! The main advantage of this is the possibility of walking through the exact home you’re interested in purchasing. You can check out the storage space, measure the bedrooms for your furniture, and start plotting where you’ll hang your family photos. Models are valuable to tour in their own right, but there’s something unique about standing in a home that could actually be yours one day.
Curious about where you can find these move-in ready options? Shop our current inventory here.
7. Get a feel for the amenities
Whether a neighborhood offers a swimming pool, walking trails, a rec center, or sports courts, take the time to explore those shared spaces in person. Notice where these amenities are located in relation to the homes. Is the playground easy to walk to? Are the parks and green spaces centrally located? These observations can influence whether the neighborhood feels convenient, welcoming, or perhaps too crowded for your liking.
Spend extra time checking out the amenities that are especially important to your lifestyle. For instance, if working out is a key part of your day, make sure that the community’s fitness center has the equipment you need (and that it’s all in working order). Or, if your family has an energetic pup, swing by the dog park to make sure Fido has plenty of space to run and play.
💡 Helpful hint: Before scheduling your tours, hop on our website and use the search filters to narrow down neighborhood options by specific amenities that matter to you.
Final tips for a successful tour:
- 📝 Bring along paper and pen (or use an app on your phone) to make note of what you like or don’t like about the neighborhood.
- 📏 Pack your measuring tape as well—you can use this to get an idea of furniture placement as you tour homes!
- 📷 Take lots of photos and videos to reference later and share with other household members.
- 👟 Wear comfortable walking shoes. Sore feet might distract you from your surroundings!
- 👀 Use your senses during your tour, paying attention to what you see, hear, and smell in the neighborhood. Do you hear chirping birds or loud traffic? Do you smell freshly cut grass or pollution from a nearby manufacturing plant?
- 🍴 After your visit, swing by a nearby coffee shop or restaurant to grab a drink or a bite to eat. Beyond trying a local business, it could also give you the opportunity to chat with people who live in the area.
- 🧠 Don’t forget to approach the neighborhood tour with an open mind. You may be surprised by what you see in person!
To wrap it up…
Finding the right home isn’t just about square footage or finishes—it’s about the bigger picture. The neighborhood you decide to move to will likely shape your routines, your friendships, and your overall sense of comfort, which is why taking the time to plan and go on a thorough neighborhood tour is such an important step in the homebuying process.
As you continue your house hunt, keep in mind that you’re also choosing the place where your next chapter will unfold. Touring neighborhoods with curiosity and intention can bring you one step closer to finding the right fit for your lifestyle and goals. So take your time, ask thoughtful questions, and trust what you observe. The right neighborhood is out there—and your tour might be the key to discovering it.
Find your neighborhood fit!
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