What's missing from your current home? Storage space? Decent parking? Privacy? You might not have noticed these missing features when you and your home were in the honeymoon phase, but sometime in the first few months, they became obvious.

When you tour a home, it's normal to get caught up in the granite kitchen countertops that you might not notice there's insufficient square footage to butter your morning toast. And while that master bedroom looks stylish and neat, you don't realize it's small.

Sometimes, there's a fix. You can downsize the bedroom furniture. You can install shelving or buy bookcases to add storage. And for privacy, you can put up curtains or a fence. And sometimes you just have to learn to live with it. Or you vow next time around, you won't make the same mistake.

No one ever walked out of an open house thinking, "Nice place, but too many closets." On the other hand, a good staging job can disguise that a home has precious little storage.

This is where it pays to use your X-ray eyes. Visually strip away the furniture in a for-sale home and place your furniture and belongings there. Or simply measure - the rooms and the closets - and compare the square footage to what you have now, said Eric Tyson, author of "Home Buying for Dummies."

Ditto for kitchen cupboards, pantries and counter space, said Michael Corbett, author of "Before You Buy." Those countertops may look spacious until you get out your kitchen toys and discover there's not enough room, he said. Really look at a kitchen in terms of what you need when you cook to make sure the home offers the counter space you need.

You're only 15 miles from work. How long is that in traffic time? That daily commute factor is "a really big one that a surprising number of people don't properly research before they commit to a house," Tyson said. He advised trying the commute a few times, driving both ways, before you buy.

Some buyers shop for homes where "commute" doesn't automatically mean "car," said Ron Phipps, immediate past president of the National Association of Realtors and principal broker with Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I.

"We're seeing a lot more urbanization and a lot more people moving toward public transportation links," he said.

One college professor wanted a home that was a comfortable walking distance from campus, he said. "Five years ago, that wouldn't have been a priority."

It could be the Saturday night party house, the guy who thinks Sundays were made for leaf blowing or the kid who practices the tuba 24/7.

Every neighborhood has its eccentrics, and you need to know if you can live with them.

One of the best ways to find out what's going on in the neighborhood is to chat up the neighbors, Corbett said.

"You must find out if there are any existing neighborhood problems."

From the minor issues (such as one neighbor's casual mechanic "shop") to the major (a string of crimes in the area), you want to know the concerns of the people who live there.

"It's really about asking questions up front," Corbett said. Ask the seller, and do your own research.

One smart move is to visit during morning rush hour, afternoon and evening rush hour, Corbett said.

Most people flip lights and faucets on and off when they tour a home to make sure they get the expected result.

But that's hardly the test of whether the water pipes or electric wiring will meet your needs, Corbett said. You'll need to determine if the plumbing and wiring can accommodate the way you live.

Flipping a bedroom light on and off doesn't compare to a busy morning with two blow-dryers and an electric shaver running while the microwave heats breakfast, the air conditioning clicks on and the TV blasts the traffic report.
 
If you are showering while someone does laundry and a third person flushes the toilet, will you feel a drop in pressure or a blast of cold water? With water, you can run a few things at one time and see how the home handles the pressure, Corbett said.

As for the electrical systems, you might want to talk to your home inspector, he said. Explain how many of people are in the household who may use electricity simultaneously, and ask if it will hold up, Corbett said.
It's a great home for you, but does it fit your car? Tyson said one home he owned came with street parking. It was great, but simple errands such as a trip to the market required a little more planning and a few extra steps.

"In retrospect, we wouldn't have done it differently," he said. "But you have to make sure you understand the ramifications of not having a garage in the city."

Some neighborhoods have rules about parking in the driveway or on the street. So if you have a preference or other plans for your new garage, it's smart to check any covenants before buying.

Privacy is a factor some buyers overlook until it's too late. Notice "if when you're in the bathroom, you're staring into your neighbor's shower," Corbett said. "You really have to be smart. Try to spend some time in the house."

The goal is to get the feeling of what it's like to really live in the house before you buy it, he said.

"I think the biggest mistake people make is they have to see not only do they fit," Corbett said, "but does their lifestyle fit (the home)?"