Before purchasing a car, many consumers like to give it a test drive to make sure the vehicle is the right fit for them. Likewise, some house hunters are asking for a “test stay” at a home before signing the sale contract. While that’s not always possible, Tim McMullen, a sales associate with Kinoko in San Francisco’s luxury market, recently offered some tips in a realtor.com® article to accommodate as much of this request as possible.

• Book an Airbnb or other short-term rental. You should aim for at least a three-day trip over a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This will give you a chance to scout out the neighborhood on a weekday and weekend.
• Check real-time crime updates in the area. You can use apps such as Citizen, which crowdsources crime reports.
• Do a run-through of the commute. You should drive the route you would take between home and work, as well as the most convenient avenues to accommodate your shopping routine and other regular errands.
• Visit local happy hours and weekend festivities. This will give you more of a feel for the neighborhood you’re considering. “Your goals should be to see as many venues as you possibly can, to get a sense of the ambiance and demographics of the local nightlife and social scene,” McMullen writes.

Article Credit: Realtor Magazine