You put a lot of thought into buying a house – but if you’re anything like me, you generally leave most conversations wondering, “Did I ask everything I meant to ask?” That’s not a good feeling even when you’re purchasing something small, let alone purchasing a HOME. So we’ve compiled a list of questions to ask when buying a house – hopefully it helps you leave conversations with sellers feeling confident!
Questions to Ask when Buying a House:
- How long has the house been on the market? If it’s been on the market for a long time, you may want to look into whether there is an issue you don’t know about. Or if there is no great issue, you may be able to offer less if the seller is looking to move quickly.
- Ask your agent the prices of similar, nearby homes that have sold recently to compare. Knowing what the going rate is for the area will help you determine the value of the house. You can even ask the seller or check public records to see what they paid for it and when.
- Ask the sellers’ agent how flexible they are on the price. You can often avoid offering too low and offending, or losing to another buyer, if you feel out what they are comfortable with beforehand.
- Were there any major repairs, renovations or replacements? Who did them? Knowing what has been done and by whom will allow you to reach out to the correct people if you need to see if an appliance is under warranty, or if you want to replace and match the color of hardwood, etc. Without documentation, this can be difficult, so ask for any paperwork they have available.
- How old is …. Xyz? Along those same lines, don’t be afraid to ask how old things are in the house. It will help you get an understanding for what you may have to replace in the future, and what’s been taken care of for you.
- Ask about their experience! It can be easy to get information in simple conversation. Ask what they like best about the neighborhood, if there are quirks with the house or neighbors, anything that you can anticipate moving forward. If you approach questions conversationally and ask for their opinion, you often get a better picture of what life is actually like instead of the bullet point list of facts.
- Make sure you know where essentials like the water shut-off valve, circuit box, etc are located. Often times the inspector will alert you to this, but not all the time – and it’s definitely not stuff you want to be looking for in the dark when you need it.
- Ask about the roof, foundation, insulation, and whether or not the home is on a flood plain. These will help you determine how the home handles the elements and what you may have to prepare for in the future.
- Can I see myself and my family living here? Think about location, proximity to schools, stores, how fast the traffic is on your street, are you close to train tracks, etc? There are lots of questions to ask when buying a house, but this is one to ask yourself. Every family is different, and only you can find the perfect fit for you. Decide what you can compromise on – and what you can’t.
We hope this gives you some guidance on what questions to ask when buying a house! Seeing families end up in the home of their dreams is why we do what we do – so if you need a mortgage and you want to work with people who have the same values your family does, give us a call! We’d love to help.
Best,
Audrey
The Christian Mortgage Mom
