Buying a home is exciting, but a little preparation before your first showing can make the entire process smoother — and in Lancaster County’s competitive market, it can genuinely make the difference between landing the right home and losing it to a better-prepared buyer. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or it’s been years since your last purchase, here’s what Carol Lehman recommends before you start scheduling tours.
1. Get Pre-Approved Before You Start Looking
In Lancaster County’s current market, pre-approval isn’t optional — it’s expected. Sellers in desirable areas like Hempfield, Warwick, and Manheim Township regularly receive multiple offers, and an offer without a pre-approval letter attached is easy to dismiss. More importantly, pre-approval gives you a realistic picture of your budget before you fall in love with a home you can’t afford.
Contact a local lender before you start touring. Carol can recommend trusted Lancaster County mortgage professionals if you need a starting point.
2. Know Your Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves
Before touring homes, it can be helpful to think about the features that matter most to you. Having a Before you walk into your first showing, get clear on what you actually need versus what would just be nice to have. In a market where inventory moves quickly, being able to make a fast, confident decision matters.
Must-Haves:
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- School district — in Lancaster County, district boundaries can significantly affect both your daily life and long-term resale value
- Garage or off-street parking
- Commute time to work
- Yard size and outdoor space
Nice-to-Haves:
- Finished basement or home office
- Updated kitchen or bathrooms
- Fireplace
- Outdoor entertaining space
The things you can’t easily change — location, lot size, layout, school district — deserve more weight than things you can update over time. A kitchen can be renovated. A location can’t.
3. Look Beyond the Staging
A well-staged home can make an average property feel exceptional, and a cluttered home can make a great property feel worse than it is. Try to look past the furniture and décor and evaluate what’s actually there.
Pay attention to:
- Overall layout and flow — does it fit how you actually live?
- Room sizes relative to your own furniture
- Natural light at the time of day you’re touring
- Storage space throughout
- Signs of deferred maintenance — water stains, aging HVAC, worn roofing
In Lancaster County’s older housing stock particularly — borough homes, farmhouses, properties built in the 60s and 70s — what’s behind the walls matters as much as what’s on the surface. A good home inspection will catch most issues, but sharp eyes during the tour help too.
4. Take Notes and Photos
After three or four showings, homes start to blur together. After eight or ten they’re almost indistinguishable in memory. Take notes on your phone immediately after each tour — what you liked, what gave you pause, anything that stood out — and take photos if the seller permits it. You’ll be glad you did when you’re comparing options later.
5. Questions to Ask During a Showing
Don’t just look — ask. Here are the questions worth raising at every tour:
- How old are the roof, HVAC system, and water heater?
- Have there been any recent updates or renovations, and do you have documentation?
- Are there any HOA fees, community restrictions, or shared maintenance responsibilities?
- What are the average monthly utility costs?
- How long has the home been on the market, and have there been any prior offers?
- What’s included in the sale — appliances, fixtures, outbuildings?
In Lancaster County, it’s also worth asking about well and septic systems on rural properties — maintenance history and inspection records matter more than most buyers realize until they’re dealing with a problem.
6. Be Ready to Move When You Find the Right Home
This is the part most buyers underestimate. In Lancaster County, well-priced homes in sought-after school districts can go under contract within days. If you’ve done your preparation — pre-approval in hand, priorities clear, a trusted agent beside you — you’ll be in a position to act decisively when the right home appears. If you haven’t, you’ll be scrambling while someone else submits an offer.
Carol Lehman has been helping buyers navigate the Lancaster County market for over 20 years. If you’re getting ready to start touring homes — or you’ve already started and want more experienced guidance — reach out to Carol directly. She’ll make sure you’re prepared before you walk through that first door.