Questions to Ask When Buying a Home Checklist

Questions to Ask When Buying a Home Checklist

Preparing all the questions to ask when buying a home checklist, would be the first step as buying a house itself is daunting. No policy allows a buyer to return property if they realize they must have purchased the wrong one. 

Are you an open-house junkie? Do you love binge-watching home tour videos on YouTube? Do you think you’re already equipped when it comes to home features and elements you want to incorporate into your future home? There are tons of questions about home-buying you still want to know. 

Here are the Questions to Ask When Buying a Home Checklist

• Why is the owner selling?

The estate agent doesn’t have to answer but if you’re lucky they may give you a hint of circumstances. You might find out that the owner is desperate to sell, perhaps, because work is taking them overseas and so would accept a lower price. Is there anything that you would want to know about the house if you were buying? The big fear, if you are buying, is that you are missing out on some big negative factors that others know about. Is the local train station is about to close a nearby sewage plant opening up or the next-door neighbors?

People wish they had known about why most people move in and out of their homes. So if you have any doubts about a house, ask next-door neighbors or local shopkeepers what they think. 

• What is included in the sale?

Is the garden shed included? Exactly where does the boundary lie? Make sure you see what you’re getting. It is not unknown for most of the contents to be included in the sale. 

• How long has the property been on the market? 

If the house has been on the market for a long time, more than, let’s say, three months, ask the agent why they think it is and why it’s not selling. Are there problems with the property up for sale? Is it just overpriced a long time on the market or has several offers fallen through.

• How long have the owners live there?

It is so important to find out why if they are moving out after a short period. Do they have nosy neighbors? Has the property repeatedly changed hands. Be alerted to serious problems if the property has frequently changed hands. Find out why previous owners moved out. How did the agent decide on the asking price? A good agent will provide you with their justifications for the asking price, which you can judge or if you get lucky, the agent might tell you that they think the seller is over evaluating the house. You should, in any case, visit other homes for sale nearby to get a good idea of what the properties are selling for in the area and what they look like. 

• What is the minimum price the seller will accept? 

It sounds kind of silly, but asking if the bottom line is negotiable can save you sometimes thousands of dollars.

Real estate agents will often give you an indication. It is in their interest to make a sale even at a lower price because if they don’t sell, they don’t get paid. What offers have they had so far? The agent or most likely tell you if there have been other offers, but not how much they were. But again, they have a big incentive to get a price agreed. So might drop some pretty heavy hints in whispered tones. If you can find out about the offers, it makes it easier to know what you should offer, making an offer and haggling over the price. 

• When do the sellers have to move out? 

Have the sellers already found another home? If they have, they may be keen to sell as fast as possible. Otherwise, if you have to wait until they find somewhere else to live. It adds to the uncertainty. With all risks associated with being in a chain, you may be able to pay less in a home if it’s vacant. 

Related Article: Buy and Sell Your Home at the Same Time

• Which way does the property face? 

You might want to look at it as well. Is the terrace situated beautifully in a direction where you can see both the sunrise and the sunset? Which rooms will you be using the most? And which way do they face have major work than done? If so, are you able to have a look at relevant planning and building control and in most cases can search online for that information? It would be awful if you bought your dream home only to find out you have would have to not half of it down. That usually doesn’t happen.

• How much is the council tax and how much have utility bills in the area? 

Try and get exact amounts or close to it, you know, talk to the seller if you have, if you’re able to and get some of that information. That’s if you’re actually touring the home at the time and the sellers there. If not, you can always get the information through the listing agent. If it’s in an HOA, are there restrictions in that HOA? Remember how long has it been on the market.

• How old is the property itself? 

Not only is it nice to know anyway, but the upkeep of older houses sometimes are a little bit more expensive. Can you move the furniture and have a peek under the rugs? You must be keen on the smallest details of the house such as the crack on the walls, electric system, as well as the drainage system. Knowing how old the gutter and the roof is imperative because replacing those things is very expensive. 

Obviously, in a home inspection, you’re going to find out a lot of things, but if you know ahead of time, that also helps. Have the sellers had any complaints with the HOA? A lot of the time the HOA will give you information if it’s in a homeowners association as well. 

• Kinds of schools or even the crime rate information should be gathered before buying home

You can Google online to find the crime rate in the area if there is. These are all the tips and tricks when purchasing a home and what you want to look for. Questions to Ask When Buying a Home Checklist is very important to have as your initial step when contemplating buying a home.

Do you have any other questions that you think are most important to ask before buying a home? 

Check out my other videos all about real estate on my YouTube channel and subscribe!

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