Guide
How to Compare Houses You've Toured
The way to compare houses fairly is to choose your criteria before you tour, score each home on those same criteria right after you leave it, and compare the scores and notes side by side. Doing it from memory favors whichever house you saw last.
Why memory is a bad comparison tool
After three or four showings in a day, the details start to swap. The kitchen you loved belongs to a different address than you remember, and the noisy street gets attached to the wrong house. The house you saw last also feels more vivid than the one you saw first, whether or not it was better.
Step 1: Pick your criteria before you tour
Write down six to ten things that decide whether a house works for you. A good starting list:
- Location and commute
- Value for the price
- Size and floor plan
- Kitchen and main living space
- Natural light
- Condition and the work it will need
- Outdoor space or view
- Anything that is personally a must-have, like a garage or a home office
Keep them the same for every house. The point is that each home is measured with the same ruler.
Step 2: Score each house right after the showing
Give each criterion a quick 1 to 5 before you get back in the car. Add one or two lines that explain the number, such as "great light, but the layout wastes the hallway". A photo and a short voice memo help too, since they capture what a score can't.
Step 3: Compare, then sort into three piles
Line the scores up next to each other. Most buyers end up with three groups: clear favorites, maybes, and homes to drop. Look at the gaps as much as the totals. A house with a lower total that scores highest on the criterion you care most about may still be your best option.
If you are buying with a partner, score separately and then compare. Where you disagree is where the useful conversation is.
Doing this without the spreadsheet
You can run this method on paper or in a spreadsheet. Property Notepad is built for it: save your criteria once, score every property against them, attach photos, notes and voice memos to the exact address, and mark each home as a top pick, a maybe, or a no. Co-buyers and your agent can be added to the same notebook.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare houses after touring several in one day?
Decide what matters before you walk in, score every house on those same criteria right after you leave it, and only then compare. Scoring while the details are fresh is what keeps the first house from blurring into the fourth.
How many criteria should I score each house on?
Six to ten is plenty. Fewer than that and every house looks the same; more than that and you stop filling it in. Include a mix of things you can't change (location, lot, layout) and things you can (paint, flooring, a dated kitchen).
Should the price be one of the criteria?
Score value for the price rather than the price itself. You already know the price; what you're trying to capture is whether the house feels worth it compared with the others you've seen.
What if my partner and I score houses differently?
That is useful information. Score separately, then compare. A house you both rate highly is a strong candidate, and a big gap on one criterion is a conversation worth having before you make an offer.