You walk through the front door and immediately start forming an opinion. You like the kitchen. You're not sure about the flooring. The living room is bigger than it looked in the photos. And you can already picture where your furniture would go.

That's all part of touring a home. How a house feels matters because, if you buy it, you're the one who will live there. But while you're deciding whether you like the house, there are some practical things worth paying attention to as well. And if you're touring with your buyer's agent, your agent may be looking at some different things than you are.

Start With the Things You Can't Easily Change

Paint is easy. Location isn't. It's surprisingly easy to become distracted by finishes, furnishings and decorating choices when touring a home. Try to look beyond them.

Ask yourself:

• Does the location work for me?
• Does the lot work for the way I want to use it?
• Is the home's layout functional for me?
• Are the room sizes adequate?
• Is there enough storage?
• Does the parking work?
• Are there stairs or other features that could become frustrating?
• Is there enough natural light?
• Does the home have the features I said were important to me?

You can repaint a purple bedroom. Moving the primary bedroom to another floor is a somewhat more ambitious Saturday project.

Pay Attention to How You Would Actually Live There

Touring a home isn't just about deciding whether it's attractive. Try mentally going through an ordinary day. Where will you enter the house?  Where will coats, shoes, vacuum cleaners and all the other decidedly unglamorous things of life live? If you work from home, where will you work? If you have pets, does the property work for them? Where will you park, and what will getting from the car to the house be like during a Massachusetts winter?

Sometimes a house photographs beautifully but doesn't function particularly well for the person considering buying it. And sometimes a home that isn't immediately impressive turns out to have exactly the layout and features someone needs.

Look Past the Seller's Belongings

A beautifully staged home can make it easier to imagine living there. A cluttered or dated home can make that considerably harder. Try not to let either influence you too much.

Furniture isn't real estate. Neither are paint colors, artwork, curtains or the seller's decorating style.

Look at the space itself.

Conversely, don't let beautiful furnishings distract you from things that actually come with the property. That gorgeous sectional isn't included. The small living room underneath it is.

Use More Than Your Eyes

Pay attention to what you hear, smell and feel. Is traffic noise noticeable? Can you hear mechanical equipment? Does part of the house have an unusual odor? Do some rooms feel noticeably warmer or colder than others?

None of those observations necessarily means something is wrong. But they're worth noticing and, if necessary, asking about. This is one reason we don't recommend racing through a showing, or if you see a home at on open house, we'd hope to schdeule a private showing as well.

Give yourself enough time to actually experience the property.

Look at the Less Exciting Spaces

Everyone wants to see the kitchen. Make sure you see the basement too. And the utility area. And the garage. And the attic or other accessible areas when appropriate.

You don't need to become an amateur home inspector. In fact, you shouldn't try. But there's nothing wrong with noticing the general condition of the property and asking questions.

How old does the heating equipment appear to be? Is there visible staining or obvious moisture? Are there areas that appear damaged? Does something look recently repaired? Are there unusual cracks or deterioration that deserve further investigation?

Those observations aren't diagnoses. They're questions.

Your Agent May Be Looking at Different Things

While you're deciding whether you can picture yourself living in the home, I'm doing something slightly different. I'm not a home inspector, and a showing is not a home inspection. But experience does teach agents to notice things.

I'm looking for obvious condition concerns that may deserve a closer look.

I'm paying attention to features of the property that relate to things you've already told me. If you said you absolutely need a first-floor bathroom, I'm checking. If you've told me a steep driveway is a deal-breaker, I'm noticing the driveway. If you don't want a major renovation project, I'm looking at the house through that lens.

I'm also listening to what you're saying while we walk through, because sometimes buyers tell us what matters without realizing they're telling us. You may have started your search convinced that you needed a formal dining room and, after six showings, haven't cared about one yet. But you've mentioned the lack of a mudroom in every single house.

That's useful information.

Your Agent Isn't Your Home Inspector

This deserves its own section because the distinction matters.

Your agent may notice something and say: "I think we should have that looked at." That isn't the same as saying: "Here's what's wrong with it."

A REALTOR® isn't there to diagnose structural problems, evaluate electrical systems, determine why a basement is damp or tell you how many years a roof has left. Those questions belong with the appropriate qualified professional. Part of an agent's job is recognizing when we don't know the answer and helping you figure out who should.

Don't Try to Conduct the Inspection During the Showing

There's another extreme we sometimes see. A buyer becomes so focused on finding problems that they forget the first question: Do I even want this house?

You don't need to spend your showing testing every outlet or examining every inch of the foundation. There will be an opportunity for a much more thorough evaluation if you decide to move forward, subject to the terms of your offer and purchase process. The showing is primarily about deciding whether the property deserves that next level of consideration.

Take a Second Look Before You Leave

Before walking out, stop for a moment. Think back to the things that mattered most before you arrived.

• Did the home have them?
• What surprised you?
• What bothered you?
• What did you like more than you expected?

And here's one of my favorite questions: Is there anything about this house that you are already trying to talk yourself into accepting?

Sometimes compromise is completely reasonable. Almost every home involves some. But if you've told your agent repeatedly that something is a deal-breaker and you're already inventing reasons why it might be okay because you love the kitchen, that's worth recognizing.

You Don't Have to Decide Everything at the Showing

The purpose of touring a home isn't to determine every possible thing that could be wrong with it. And it isn't to decide whether you'll live there for the rest of your life.

You're really answering a much simpler question: Do I know enough about this home to want to take the next step? If the answer is yes, that's when we start digging deeper.

We will review available property information, disclosures and documents. We research questions that came up during the showing. And if you decide to make an offer, we'll talk about appropriate due diligence and inspections.

Buying a home is a process of gathering information. A showing is one important piece of it.

So look at the kitchen. Open the closets. Stand in the backyard. Notice the things that concern you. Imagine an ordinary Tuesday there.

And while you're deciding whether the home feels right for you, I'll be looking at it through a different set of eyes.

Not as your home inspector. As your agent, who has been listening to what you've told me matters.