\n<\/p>\n
A recent article suggested an unconventional house-hunting tip for buyers: bring a dinner plate and a clothes hanger along when touring homes. The logic? Use the plate to check cabinet depth and the hanger to gauge closet space. <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re wondering why a good old-fashioned tape measure wouldn\u2019t suffice, you\u2019re not alone. But at the same time, it\u2019s kind of practical\u2026if you can get past the befuddled stare of your real estate agent as you walk up to the house looking like you\u2019re walking up to the register at HomeGoods. <\/p>\n
Actually, come to think of it, that might spice up the whole homebuying process! And after all, a tape measure tells you dimensions, but it doesn\u2019t always tell you how something feels in a space. So why stop with plates and hangers?<\/p>\n
Here are 6 other<\/em> offbeat things you could bring on a home tour to help decide whether a house truly fits your life:<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all played the bedtime tug-of-war with a charger cord that\u2019s juuust a few inches too short. So bring your actual charger to a showing, plug it in, and do a little test run to see if it can reach your bed from the nearest outlet. Will you be able to doom-scroll comfortably, or are you in for nightly cable gymnastics?<\/p>\n Laundry isn\u2019t fun to begin with, so the last thing you want is to deal with a hallway or stairwell that feels like a full-contact sport every time you do laundry. Carry it around with you as you tour the home to make sure it fits around corners and staircases. See how many times you need to adjust the way you\u2019re holding it in order to avoid scraping your knuckles on the wall.<\/p>\n If you own a Roomba, you know the struggle. It can easily get stuck in a corner, trapped behind furniture, or\u2014worst of all\u2014find a cliff to jump off of like a lemming. If you\u2019re eyeing a home with open staircases, high thresholds, or tricky floor layouts, bring your trusty Roomba and see how it handles the terrain. <\/p>\n If your trusty robot vacuum gets stuck under a cabinet lip, trapped between chair legs, or nearly takes a tumble down the stairs, you\u2019ve just uncovered a few quirks that no floor plan would warn you about. <\/p>\n Do they all fit in the sink? If not, how do they look on the surrounding counter area?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s face it, no one has a perfectly tidy kitchen all the time. So, it\u2019s worth testing whether your usual post-dinner chaos can fit entirely in the sink. Bring your dirty dish stack (or just simulate it with a few clean ones if you think that\u2019s a bit over the top) to see how much space is actually available for your typical everyday mess. <\/p>\n Buying in bulk is a great way to save money, but finding a place to plop them once you get them home can be quite the challenge. Before you commit to a new home, make sure your bulk TP or paper towels have somewhere to live. And if there isn\u2019t room for one<\/em> of those bad boys, what\u2019re you gonna do if there\u2019s another pandemic?!<\/p>\n Those sleek built-in ledges look nice\u2026 until your shampoo bottle does a swan dive every morning. Bring your actual shower setup or caddy and do a little staging in the tub. Can everything sit securely? Is there a spot for your razor, loofah, or absurdly tall conditioner bottle? Or are you going to need suction cups and a prayer?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n1) Your Phone Charger<\/h3>\n
2) Your Laundry Basket<\/h3>\n
3) Your Roomba<\/h3>\n
4) Your Average Dirty Dish Stack<\/h3>\n
5) The Bulk Toilet Paper or Paper Towels You Buy<\/h3>\n
6) Your Bathroom Caddy or Shower Products<\/h3>\n