Questions to Ask Before Buying a Home
For anyone buying a house to live in, from the first open house to the day you get the keys. The 102 questions are grouped by stage: what to ask when looking at a house, whether at an open house or a private showing, then the house itself, the neighborhood, money, the offer and the weeks before closing. Some are questions to ask the seller about the house, some are for the agent, an inspector, a lender or a neighbor, and some are for you. Where the rules differ by country or state, the note says to ask how it works locally.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
At the viewing
Why is the seller moving, and have they found somewhere to go?
Why ask it
A seller who has already bought, or has a job starting somewhere else, usually cares about the date as much as the price. One who is still looking may need you to wait for them. Listen as well for anything said in passing about neighbors, noise or repairs.
How long has the house been on the market, and has the price been cut?
Why ask it
A long wait with no reduction often means a seller holding out for a figure, and a run of cuts means one who has started to listen. Check the answer against the listing history on property portals and public records, which in many places show earlier listings, price changes and a sale that was agreed and came back. A house taken off and relisted can start its day count again, so ask what happened each time.
How long has the seller owned the house, and how often has it changed hands before that?
Why ask it
Sale dates and prices are public record in many places, so look them up before you ask. One long ownership usually means the seller can answer questions about the house from memory. Three owners in six years deserves a plain 'why', put to the agent and then to a neighbor.
Are there any problems with the house that the seller knows about?
Why ask it
Ask it out loud at the viewing and again in writing, because a direct question is harder to sidestep than a form. What a seller has to volunteer differs by country and state, so ask your agent or lawyer which disclosure papers exist where you are, and read them before you offer. A seller who lists the small faults without being pushed is usually a better sign than one whose house has never had a single problem.
When was the house built, and what has been renovated or added since?
Why ask it
The build date tells an inspector what to look for, since each era had its own materials and its own shortcuts. For every change since, ask for the year, who did the work and whether there is paperwork. A new kitchen is pleasant, but new wiring, new plumbing or a roof replaced by a firm you can name is the work that spares you a bill.
Does this house have what I decided I needed before I started looking?
Why ask it
Write the list before the first viewing: bedrooms, somewhere to work, storage, outdoor space, stairs you can live with, the longest commute you will accept. Mark each house against it on the day, before the nice kitchen gets a vote. Giving up a want is a fair trade. Giving up a need because the light was lovely is how people end up moving twice.
Who does the agent showing me this house work for?
Why ask it
Often the seller, and then anything you say about your budget, your deadline or how much you love the kitchen can travel. The rules on representation differ by country and state, so ask how it works where you are buying. Save the enthusiasm for the car.
Can I run the taps, flush the toilets, open the windows and try the switches while I am here?
Why ask it
Ask first and hardly anyone minds. Ten minutes of it tells you about water pressure, slow drains, windows painted shut and dead circuits, and a hot tap run upstairs while a toilet fills shows what the pressure does under load. Whatever fails goes on a list for the inspector, with the room written beside it.
What am I not being shown: the attic, the crawl space, the garage, the shed?
Why ask it
The spaces left off the tour are where roof leaks, damp and amateur wiring tend to show. Ask to see each one and bring a flashlight. If a space is locked or full of the seller's things, make access a condition of the inspection.
Where are the electrical panel, the heating system and the main water shutoff, and can I look at them?
Why ask it
A seller who can walk straight to all three has probably looked after the house. Photograph the labels and data plates, which usually carry a manufacture date. That settles the age of the equipment without relying on anyone's memory.
Which way does the house face, and where is the sun at the hours I am home?
Why ask it
Listing photos are taken in the best light the house ever gets. Check the compass on your phone, work out which rooms get the morning and which the evening, and ask the seller which room is too hot in summer or never warms up in winter.
What can I hear from the main bedroom with the windows shut?
Why ask it
Stand still for a full minute and ask whoever is showing the house to stop talking. Road hum, a neighbor's heat pump, footsteps through a shared wall and aircraft are all easier to catch in silence. Then open the window and listen again, because that is how you will sleep in summer.
Is anything freshly painted, patched or covered, and what is behind it?
Why ask it
New paint on one ceiling, a rug in an odd place or a strong air freshener each have an innocent explanation and a less innocent one. Ask directly and write down the answer. 'We had a leak three winters ago and here is the invoice' is more reassuring than a seller who has no idea.
Do the room sizes and the floor area match what the listing says?
Why ask it
Wide-angle photos stretch rooms, and a listed area sometimes counts a garage, a low attic or an addition that was never approved. Bring a tape and measure the rooms your furniture has to fit. Then ask how the total was calculated and whether it matches the official record.
Is there a usable phone signal in every room, and which internet providers serve this address?
Why ask it
Check your own phone as you walk around, including the basement and the room you would work in. For internet, enter the exact address on the providers' own sites, since coverage maps are drawn generously and one side of a street can differ from the other.
What does the seller wish they had known before they moved in?
Why ask it
It is easier to answer honestly than 'what is wrong with it'. You tend to hear about the neighbor who parks across the drive, the gutter that overflows in a storm, the room nobody sits in during January. Small things, and no document will ever tell you them.
What would the seller have done to the house next if they were staying?
Why ask it
Most owners carry a list in their head: the windows on the cold side, the bathroom that was always next year's job. Their answer is a to-do list from the person who knows the house best. Set it beside the inspector's report later, and ask about anything the inspector found that the seller left off.
Is the house lived in by the seller, rented out or standing empty, and for how long?
Why ask it
An empty house hides different things from a lived-in one, because nobody has been there to notice a slow leak or a room that never warms up. Ask whether the water and heating have stayed on and how often someone checks the place. If a tenant lives there, ask when the tenancy ends and how notice works where you are, since those rules are local.
Do I have to sign in at the open house, and what happens to my details if I do?
Why ask it
The sheet at the door is partly security for the seller and partly a contact list for the agent hosting. Ask what it will be used for before you write a phone number down. If an agent already represents you, say so and put their name beside yours, since how that is treated differs from place to place and it is easier settled at the door.
How many people have been through the open house, and has anyone asked for a second visit?
Why ask it
Take the agent's number and check it with your own eyes: the cars outside, the sign-in sheet, how long people linger. A crowd on the first weekend says the price is drawing buyers, which is not the same as the house being sound. Three visitors in the fourth week tells you the opposite, and gives you room to ask for more time or less money.
Is the seller looking at offers as they arrive, or all together on a set date?
Why ask it
Whoever is hosting can usually answer this on the spot, and it sets your whole timetable. A set date gives you days to inspect, collect quotes and think. Offers read as they come in mean the house could be gone by Monday, so ask how much warning you would get if one arrived.
Which documents about the house can I take home today?
Why ask it
Agents often bring a floor plan, the seller's disclosure forms, a summary of running costs or an inspection the seller paid for, and it all stays in the folder unless someone asks. Read whatever you are given that evening, while you still remember the rooms. A report ordered by the seller is a useful start, though it was not written for you, so ask your own inspector what they would add.
If the seller is not here, will the agent pass my questions on and send the answers in writing?
Why ask it
At most open houses the owner has been sent out for the afternoon, and the agent hosting has never spent a winter in the place. Hand over a short written list instead of settling for 'I think so': the age of the roof, the leak behind the patch, why an earlier sale fell through. Answers that come back by email are ones you can keep.
May I take photos or a short video as I walk around?
Why ask it
Ask first, since it is still someone's home and some sellers say no. When touring a house, and more so on a day with four of them booked, photograph the front first and then whatever you will want to check later: the stain, the label on the panel, the view from the back bedroom. By evening the kitchens will have merged into one, and the pictures tell them apart.
What would make my own agent hesitate about this house?
Why ask it
A private showing with an agent who works for you is the moment for it, out of the seller's hearing. Someone who walks through local houses every week tends to spot the street that floods or the extension that looks home-made before you do. Ask for the doubts by name, because 'what do you think?' usually gets the polite answer.
Can I come back for a second viewing with more time, and bring an inspector or a builder?
Why ask it
An open house or a twenty-minute showing is enough to rule a place out and seldom enough to rule it in. Ask for an hour on another day at a different time, with the heating on and nobody else walking through. If a second visit before the offer is not possible, ask what access you would have afterwards, and before you are bound.
The house
Who will inspect the house for me, and what will the inspection leave out?
Why ask it
An independent inspection or survey is the check that answers to you, so pick the person yourself instead of taking a name from the seller's side. Ask before the day what is excluded: roofs they will not climb, drains, chimneys, septic systems, pools and outbuildings are common gaps. Each gap is either a specialist to book or a risk you are choosing to carry.
How old are the roof, the heating, the water heater and the electrical panel, and what does each cost to replace here?
Why ask it
Get years, not adjectives, and price each replacement with a local contractor instead of a national average. How long a roof or a boiler lasts depends on its type and the climate, so ask the inspector how many years each one has left. That turns 'it all looks fine' into a schedule of bills.
What have you had to repair more than once since you moved in?
Why ask it
A single repair is history. The same gutter, the same damp corner or the same tripping breaker fixed twice means the cause was never found. Ask what was done the last time, who did it, and whether the problem has come back since.
What are the water pipes and the wiring actually made of?
Why ask it
Which materials are a problem depends on where and when the house was built: lead or galvanized steel supply pipes, old rubber or cloth covered wiring, aluminum circuits, a fuse box that predates modern breakers. Ask the inspector to name what is there and what is known to fail locally. Some of these change what an insurer will cover as well as what a renovation costs.
Has water ever come into this house, and where does water go when it rains hard?
Why ask it
Ask the seller in writing, then look for the evidence anyway: a sump pump, efflorescence on basement walls, fresh paint only along the bottom of one wall, a re-graded flower bed. Walk the lot after heavy rain if you can, since drainage problems are expensive to fix and rarely mentioned.
Is there any sign the house has moved: cracks that widen at one end, doors that stick, floors that slope?
Why ask it
Hairline cracks in plaster turn up in most houses and mean little. Cracks that step through brickwork, widen toward one end or have been filled more than once are a reason to pay a structural engineer before you commit. An engineer can give you a cause and a repair cost, where a general inspector can only describe what they see.
Where does the moist air from the bathrooms, the kitchen and the dryer go?
Why ask it
A fan that vents into the attic, or a bathroom with no fan and a window nobody opens, is a common cause of mold. Look for black spotting on ceilings and behind furniture on outside walls. Ask the inspector to follow each duct until it reaches the outdoors.
Which hazards are common in houses of this age and area, and has this one been tested?
Why ask it
Depending on where and when it was built, that can mean radon, lead paint, lead water pipes, asbestos in insulation or flooring, or a disused fuel tank. Ask the inspector or the local authority what applies here and what each test costs. Read 'none known' on a disclosure as 'not checked' until you see a result.
Has the house had termites, woodworm, rodents or any other pest, and is there a treatment record?
Why ask it
Past treatment is ordinary in some regions and no reason to walk away if there is paperwork behind it. What matters is whether the damaged wood was repaired and whether the cause, usually moisture or timber touching soil, was dealt with. Where a separate pest inspection is the local habit, order one.
How is the house heated, cooled and insulated, and is there an energy rating or audit I can read?
Why ask it
Some countries require an energy certificate at sale and others have nothing, so ask what exists for this address. The detail matters more than the grade: how deep the attic insulation is, the age and fuel of the heating, whether the glazing is single or double. Those decide both the comfort and the bills.
If the house is not on a public sewer, when was the septic system last pumped and inspected, and where is the drain field?
Why ask it
A failed drain field is one of the larger repair bills a house can hand you, and it sits under a lawn looking like nothing. Ask for the pumping records and have a septic specialist inspect it, since a general inspector usually will not. Check that nobody has built, paved or parked over it.
Does the water come from a public supply or a private well, and when was it last tested?
Why ask it
On a public supply, the things to ask about are the bill and the age of the pipe from the street. With a well you are the water company: ask for the latest lab result, the age of the pump and whether it has ever run low in a dry summer. Have your own test done before you commit, since an old report from the seller says little about the water today.
Can I have a camera put down the main drain before I commit?
Why ask it
It is easy to skip because nothing looks wrong from above. Tree roots, a collapsed clay pipe or a sag in the line do not show in a normal inspection, and digging up a drain is among the dearer repairs a house can need. The footage also gives you something to negotiate with, which a backed-up basement after the sale does not.
What permits and sign-offs are on file for this address, and do they match the house I can see?
Why ask it
Many building or planning authorities will show you the record, often online. An extra bathroom, a converted loft or a finished basement that the file does not mention is work nobody inspected, and it can cause trouble with insurance, a valuation and your own sale later. Ask the seller about each gap in writing.
If the house was renovated to sell, what was done behind the new kitchen and floors?
Why ask it
A short ownership followed by fresh surfaces everywhere is the pattern to look for. Work done for a sale favors what photographs well, so ask who did it, whether it was signed off, and for photos taken while the walls were open. A renovator who is proud of the work usually has them.
What condition are the trees, fences, retaining walls, driveway and outbuildings in, and which of them are mine to maintain?
Why ask it
A large tree leaning over the roof or a retaining wall starting to bulge can cost as much as a repair inside the house, and inspections often stop at the back door. Walk the whole lot and ask which boundary structures belong to this property. If a fence or wall is shared, ask the neighbor how the last repair was paid for.
Are there warranties or service records for the roof, the heating or recent work, and do they pass to me?
Why ask it
Many warranties end when the house is sold, or need a transfer form and a fee within a set number of days. Ask for the documents themselves, and for the service history of the boiler or furnace. A system serviced every year is a better bet than a newer one nobody has touched.
Which of the inspector's findings are safety problems, which are expensive, and which are ordinary upkeep?
Why ask it
A long report makes every house look like a wreck, and most of it is routine. Ask the inspector to sort the findings for you on the day, then get contractor quotes for the first two groups only. Those are worth negotiating over, and a loose handrail or a dripping tap is not.
What would I want to change in the first two years, and what would that cost?
Why ask it
Get a rough contractor figure before you buy, not after. Some changes are simple, and others run into a load bearing wall, an electrical upgrade, a historic district review or a planning application. Better to find out now that the layout you meant to fix cannot easily be fixed.
The neighborhood
What do you like about living on this street, and what would you change?
Why ask it
This one is for the people next door, so knock and say you are thinking of buying. Neighbors have no stake in the sale and often mention the thing nobody else will: the corner that floods, the house with the parties, the argument over the hedge. You also meet the people you would be living beside.
Who and what is on each side, behind and opposite?
Why ask it
Look at how the adjoining houses are kept, whether they are lived in by their owners or rented, and anything that is not a house: a vacant lot, a workshop, a short-stay rental with a key box. Each is a guess about your next ten years. A neglected property next door can also weigh on what this one sells for.
Is there a homeowners association or residents' body, and what do its rules stop me doing?
Why ask it
Read the rules themselves and not a summary: fences, paint colors, pets, parked vans, sheds, washing lines and letting the place out are the usual subjects. Ask what the fee is, how often it has risen and how the rules are enforced. If one rule would irritate you every week, count it as part of the price, because changing it usually takes a vote of the neighbors.
Has there been a disagreement with a neighbor, over a boundary, noise, a tree or anything else?
Why ask it
In some places the seller has to declare disputes on a form and in others only answers if asked, so put it in writing and ask how it works locally. A settled argument about a hedge is ordinary. An open one about a boundary or a shared drain comes with the house.
What is within earshot or upwind that the listing left out?
Why ask it
Open a map and look a mile out for a flight path, a rail line, a main road, a stadium, a farm, a treatment works or a late bar. Then visit when it is active: the school at pick-up time, the road at rush hour, the bar at closing. Noise and smell keep a timetable, and viewings tend to be booked around it.
What is the commute, driven at the hour I would actually be driving it?
Why ask it
Do it on a weekday morning from this address, not on a Sunday afternoon, and do the return trip too. Test the school run and the weekly shop the same way. A quiet street twelve minutes further out is a different proposition once you have driven it at half past eight.
Where would I buy food, see a doctor and get to a park, and can any of it be done on foot?
Why ask it
Time each trip from the front door instead of trusting a listing's 'minutes from'. Check for sidewalks, safe crossings and a bus or train that runs at the hours you need. It matters most in the week the car is being repaired, and in the years when someone in the house cannot drive.
Which schools is this exact address assigned to, according to the school authority and not the listing?
Why ask it
Listings and property portals get school assignments wrong, and boundaries are redrawn. Confirm in writing with the district or local authority for the exact address, and ask whether a boundary review is under way. Where places are not assigned by address at all, ask how admission works.
Where does everyone park, and what are the rules?
Why ask it
Come back after seven in the evening and see whether the street is full. Ask about permits, visitor limits, street cleaning days and overnight bans, and check that the driveway or garage really fits your car. Parking is a small thing until it is what you argue with the neighbors about.
What kind of crime is reported on these streets, and how does it compare with where I live now?
Why ask it
Look up the police or local authority figures for the immediate streets yourself, because in some places agents are not allowed to characterize a neighborhood and will decline to answer. The type matters more than the total: car break-ins near a station are a different thing from burglaries. Neighbors can tell you what the figures miss.
Is the road public or private, and who pays to repair, light and clear it?
Why ask it
On a public road the answer is the local authority. On a private one it is the owners, sometimes under a written agreement and sometimes under nothing at all. Ask to see the agreement and the last bill, and ask your lender whether it needs one in place before it will lend.
What is planned within a mile of here?
Why ask it
Look at the local planning or zoning portal yourself for pending applications: a road widening, a new development, a rezoning, a phone mast, a new school. What sits behind those trees today may not in three years. Nobody selling the house is likely to raise it.
What has opened and what has closed near here in the last few years?
Why ask it
A new cafe, a repaired playground and scaffolding on several houses point one way. Empty shop units and a school that has shut point the other. Neither is a verdict, but it is the direction you would be buying into, and long-time neighbors can tell you how fast it is moving.
What is the flood, wildfire, wind or earthquake exposure at this address?
Why ask it
Start with the official hazard maps, then ask the neighbors what has happened in the last decade, because maps are updated slowly and can miss water that comes up from drains or runs off a hill. Ask whether your lender would require cover for it or whether it is only advisable. Get the premium in writing before you offer.
Money
What will this house actually cost me every month once I own it?
Why ask it
Build the figure yourself rather than trusting an affordability calculator: principal and interest, property tax, insurance, any mortgage insurance your lender requires, any association fee, utilities, and a maintenance allowance, for which one to two percent of the value a year is a common rule of thumb. The gap between that number and the advertised payment is where people get into trouble.
How much do I need for a down payment, and what changes if I put down less?
Why ask it
The minimum depends on the country, the lender and the type of loan, so ask for the figure that applies to you and ignore the rule you once heard. A smaller deposit usually means a higher rate, a bigger monthly payment or an insurance charge added to the loan. Ask the lender to price the same house at two or three deposit sizes and compare the monthly figures.
What will the tax bill be after the sale, rather than what the seller currently pays?
Why ask it
In many places the assessment resets on sale, so a long time owner's low bill is not what you will pay. Ask the local tax office or your agent to estimate the bill at your purchase price, and check whether the seller has an exemption, a senior freeze or an appeal in place that will not transfer to you.
Can I get a real insurance quote on this specific address before I am committed?
Why ask it
Insurance is no longer a formality in many regions. A roof past a certain age, a wood stove, a pool without a fence, a past claim, or exposure to wildfire or wind can mean a startling premium or a refusal. Get the quote while you can still walk away, since a lender will not usually release the money on a house you cannot insure.
Has anyone made an insurance claim on this property, and for what?
Why ask it
Ask the seller directly, and ask your insurer whether it can see past claims for the address, since in some countries insurers share that record. Two water claims in five years tell you something the fresh paint does not. They can also affect what cover you are offered.
Can I see twelve months of utility bills?
Why ask it
A full year exposes what a summer viewing hides: electric heating, an oil tank, a poorly insulated attic, an old boiler, a pool pump running all season. If the seller cannot find the bills, ask the supplier whether it can give you past usage for the address. It is the cheapest way to learn what the house costs to keep comfortable.
Is anything here on a lease, a loan or a lien that I would take over?
Why ask it
Solar panels are the usual one, along with water softeners, fuel tanks, alarm systems and any local charge for pavements or sewers attached to the property. In some countries the land itself can be leased, with a ground rent and a term that runs down, so ask whether you would own it outright. Read the contract and its transfer terms before you agree to take anything on.
What do I share the cost of with other owners, and how healthy is the fund that pays for it?
Why ask it
This applies to anything with an owners' association, a service charge, a shared roof or a private road. Ask for the last few years of accounts, the amount held in reserve and the list of work planned. Low fees with an empty reserve are no bargain: the roof still needs replacing, and the bill arrives all at once.
What does my credit record say, and is there anything on it to fix before I apply?
Why ask it
Get your own report from the credit agencies before a lender does, which in many countries costs nothing. Look for mistakes, forgotten accounts and old addresses, since corrections can take weeks. Then ask a lender which score or band it works from and where the next better rate begins. Sometimes a few months of waiting changes the loan you are offered.
Has a lender checked my documents and approved me in writing, or am I viewing on an estimate?
Why ask it
An online figure or a quick conversation is not a commitment to lend. A written approval based on your income records and credit file is what sellers take seriously, and it shows you your real ceiling before you get attached to a house. Ask the lender what that document is called where you are and how long it stays valid.
Which kind of mortgage fits me: a fixed rate or a variable one, and over how many years?
Why ask it
A fixed rate buys certainty for a period, and a variable one follows the market in both directions. How long a rate can be fixed differs a great deal between countries, so ask what is normal where you are and what happens when the fixed period ends. Then ask for the monthly payment and the total interest at two different terms, since a shorter loan usually costs more each month and less overall.
Have I compared the whole cost of the loan from more than one lender, and not only the rate?
Why ask it
Fees, the length of any fixed period and early repayment charges can outweigh a small difference in rate. Ask each lender to quote the same loan in writing on the same day, so the figures can be set side by side. A broker can do the legwork, but ask how they are paid and which lenders they leave out.
Besides the price, what will it cost me to get from accepted offer to keys?
Why ask it
The list varies by country: transfer tax or stamp duty, lender and valuation fees, legal work, inspections or surveys, title insurance, registration, the move itself. Ask your lender and your lawyer or agent for a written estimate now. This money usually cannot be borrowed, and it comes out of the same savings as the down payment.
Are there grants, tax reliefs or first-time buyer programs I qualify for here?
Why ask it
These are local, change often and are rarely offered unprompted. Ask your lender, your agent and the housing or tax authority directly. Then read the conditions, since some must be repaid if you sell or rent out the home within a set period, and some slow the purchase down.
How much cash will I have left the week after I move in?
Why ask it
Work it out before you offer: savings, minus the down payment, minus the buying costs, minus the move. Houses tend to present a bill in the first year, and a buyer with nothing left pays it on a credit card. If the answer is close to zero, a cheaper house or a smaller down payment may be the safer plan.
Could I still make the payment if my income fell or the rate went up?
Why ask it
Run the monthly figure against one income instead of two, or against three months without work. If your rate is variable, or fixed for only a few years, run it again a couple of points higher. You are not predicting anything, only finding out how much room there is before the house becomes a problem.
Could I rent this house out or run a business from it if my plans change?
Why ask it
Zoning, deed restrictions, association rules, a lease and the mortgage itself can each say no. Check the ones that match your likely plans before you buy. A cap on rentals or a ban on short stays matters a great deal if moving away and keeping the house is your fallback.
How long do I expect to live here, and does buying still beat renting over that time?
Why ask it
Buying and selling both carry costs that are paid whatever the market does, so a short stay can lose money even when prices rise. Add up the cost of getting in and getting out, then compare it with renting something similar for the same years. If a job move or a bigger family is likely soon, count that honestly.
The offer
What have the most similar houses nearby actually sold for in the last six months?
Why ask it
Sold prices, not asking prices, and the same kind of house: similar size, condition and street. Ask your agent for the list or look the sales up in the public record, then adjust honestly for what this house has and lacks. A lender's valuer will do the same sum, and if it lands below your offer you may be asked to cover the gap in cash.
How did the seller arrive at the asking price?
Why ask it
An agent who answers with three recent sales has given you a price you can check. 'It is what they need' means the figure comes from the seller's mortgage or their next purchase, and the market may not agree. Either answer tells you how much room there is.
Have there been any other offers, and what became of them?
Why ask it
An offer that was refused shows roughly where the seller's floor is. One that was accepted and then collapsed deserves a second question: was it the buyer's loan, the valuation or something an inspection found? The agent may not be allowed to give figures, and 'lots of interest' cannot be checked, so weigh the answer against how long the house has been for sale.
When does the seller want to hand over the keys, and how much can that date move?
Why ask it
The right date can be worth as much to a seller as money. If you can bend, say so in the offer: a quick closing for someone who has already bought, or a few extra weeks for someone still looking. If you cannot, say that as well, so nobody finds out a week before the move.
If I had to sell this in three years, what would make it hard?
Why ask it
Name the specific drawbacks: a busy road, a tiny garden, one bathroom, an awkward layout, a long commute, a high tax bill. You may accept them all, but knowing which ones you would have to discount for tells you far more about the purchase than any general expectation that prices go up.
What is the most I will pay for this house, and did I decide it before the bidding started?
Why ask it
Write the figure down and tell someone who will repeat it back to you. In a contest the price moves in small steps that each feel reasonable, and the only defense is a number set when you were calm. If the house goes for more, that was the price of someone else's decision and not your loss.
Is the seller free to sell, or does a co-owner, a lender, a court or an estate have to approve?
Why ask it
Divorces, inheritances and sales where the debt is larger than the price can add months, or end in a refusal after you have paid for inspections. Ask early who has to sign and whether any approval is still outstanding. A slow sale can be a good one, but you want to know before you give notice where you live now.
At what point does the deal become binding where I am buying, and what can either side still do before then?
Why ask it
In some places an accepted offer is a contract with set ways out. In others nothing binds until contracts are exchanged weeks later, and the seller can take a higher offer in between. Ask your lawyer or agent how it works locally and what withdrawing would cost you at each stage.
How much deposit goes down with the offer, who holds it, and when could I lose it?
Why ask it
It is called earnest money in some places and an exchange or holding deposit in others, and local custom sets the size and the timing. Ask who keeps it. A neutral third party or a lawyer's client account is the usual answer, and a request to pay the seller directly deserves a question of its own. Then have your lawyer or agent list the exact events that would hand the money to the seller, with a date beside each.
Is everything I am assuming comes with the house written into the offer?
Why ask it
Appliances, curtains, light fittings, the shed, the garden furniture, the wall-mounted television: what counts as part of the house differs by place and by seller. Name each item you care about in the offer or on the contract's list. A spoken yes in the hallway is easily forgotten by moving day.
What conditions should my offer depend on, and what is the deadline for each?
Why ask it
The common ones are a satisfactory inspection, the loan being approved, the valuation reaching the price and, for some buyers, the sale of their present home. Each is a way out with a clock on it, and a missed date can shut the door without anyone telling you. Ask your agent or lawyer which are usual locally, put every deadline in your calendar, and find out what you must send, and to whom, to use one.
If I drop the inspection or the financing condition to win, what exactly am I betting?
Why ask it
Put a number on it: the worst repair the house could plausibly be hiding, or the deposit you would forfeit if the loan fell through. Sometimes the bet is reasonable, for instance when you had the house inspected before offering. Make it knowing the stake, and never because someone says everyone does.
If I have a home to sell or a lease to end, how do the dates line up, and what is my plan if they don't?
Why ask it
Work out the gap in both directions: owning two homes for a while, or having none. Each has a cost you can price in advance, such as bridging finance, storage or a short rental. Sellers also tend to read an offer that depends on another sale as weaker, so ask your agent how that is usually handled where you are.
Would I rather the seller fixed what the inspection found, or took the cost off the price?
Why ask it
A seller on the way out has every reason to hire the cheapest person available, and you inherit the result. A reduction or credit based on your own contractor's written quote usually leaves you better off. The exception is a repair your lender wants finished before it will lend, so ask which applies.
Before closing
Has the title check come back clean, and do I need title insurance?
Why ask it
Before the money moves, someone should confirm that the seller owns what they are selling and that no old loan, unpaid bill or claim is still attached to it. Ask your lawyer, conveyancer or title company what the check found and how each item will be cleared before closing day. Where title insurance is the custom, ask what an owner's policy covers and costs, since the lender's policy protects the lender.
Do the fences and hedges on the ground match the boundary on the plan?
Why ask it
Walk the edge of the lot with the plan or survey in your hand. A shed over the line, a neighbor's drive cutting a corner or a path that other people clearly use is far easier to sort out before the sale than after it. Anything about rights of way or shared drains in the title papers is for your lawyer to explain in plain words.
What is everyone waiting on this week, and is any of it mine?
Why ask it
Purchases stall quietly: a form you were sent and missed, a document the lender wants from the lawyer, a search nobody ordered. A weekly message to your agent, lender and lawyer asking this one thing keeps it moving. Write down who promised what, and by when.
What could I do between now and closing that would put the loan at risk?
Why ask it
Lenders often check credit and employment again shortly before the money is released. A new car loan, a large deposit you cannot explain, a change of job or furniture bought on finance can each reopen the decision. Ask your lender for its list of things to avoid, and wait to buy the sofa.
From what moment is the house my risk, and does my insurance start then?
Why ask it
In some places the risk passes to the buyer when contracts are signed or exchanged, which can be weeks before the keys. Ask your lawyer or agent which date applies and have the policy begin that day. Your lender will usually want proof of cover before it releases the money anyway.
Were the repairs the seller agreed to actually done, by whom, and can I see the receipts?
Why ask it
Ask for invoices from a qualified trade, and have your inspector look again if the repair was a big one. 'Done' sometimes means a patch over the stain. Holding up the closing for a few days is far easier than chasing a former owner afterwards.
If closing slips by two weeks, what does that cost me?
Why ask it
Check when your rate offer expires and what an extension costs, whether the movers can rebook, and where you would sleep if your current home is already gone. Delays are common and usually nobody's fault. The buyers they hurt are the ones whose every date was the last possible one.
How will I confirm the payment instructions are genuine before I send any money?
Why ask it
Criminals watch property sales and send convincing emails with changed bank details just before a transfer is due. Get the account details in person or by calling a number you already had, never one taken from the email. Treat any last-minute change as fraud until you have checked it yourself, because money sent to the wrong account is hard to get back.
What will I check at the final walk-through, and what happens if something is wrong?
Why ask it
Go as close to closing as you can and take the contract's list of what stays. Run the heating and the taps, and look where furniture used to hide the walls and floors. Ask your agent or lawyer beforehand what your options are if something is wrong, and if a last visit is not the custom where you are buying, ask for one anyway.
What will the seller hand over besides the keys?
Why ask it
Ask for manuals, alarm and garage codes, remotes, spare keys, paint colors, warranty papers and the names of the people who have serviced the house. It costs the seller ten minutes and saves you months of small puzzles. Change the locks and the codes regardless, since nobody knows how many keys are out there.
Which accounts need to move into my name, and what are the meter readings on the day?
Why ask it
List electricity, gas, water, internet, local taxes, trash collection and any association account, and ask the seller which suppliers they use. Photograph every meter on handover day so the first bills are split in the right place. Internet often has the longest wait, so book it as soon as the date is firm.
Checking a house properly
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Using the list
Work by stage, not from the top
Nobody asks all of these at one viewing. Each group is the checklist for one stage of buying a house: take At the viewing with you on the day, to an open house as much as a private tour. Work through The house and The neighborhood once a place is a real candidate, settle Money before you bid, and keep The offer and Before closing for when you reach them.
An open house is not a private showing
What to ask when viewing a house depends on who is in the room. At an open house the seller is usually out, the agent at the door works for them and other buyers can hear you, so look hard, collect the paperwork and keep your opinions for later. During a house showing booked for you alone there is time to open cupboards, run the taps and put the longer questions to the seller or their agent. Either way, anything nobody can answer on the day goes on a written list.
Send each question to the person who knows
The seller knows the history, the agent knows the sale, the inspector knows the condition, the lender and the insurer know the cost, the local authority knows the permits and the plans, and the neighbors know the street. A good share of the list is addressed to you, because nobody else will ask it.
Get the answers that matter in writing
A spoken 'the roof was done recently' is worth very little later. Follow up by email, ask for the invoice, the permit or the report, and keep the replies. What a seller has to disclose differs from place to place, and a written answer helps in all of them.
Ask how it works where you are
The rules for buying property are local: when an offer becomes binding, who holds the deposit, what an inspection or survey covers and which taxes apply all change by country, and often by state or region. Where a note says to ask how it works locally, put that to your agent or lawyer before the first offer, not in the middle of it.
Before you write the offer
Set your own ceiling and write it down
A lender's approval is what they will risk, not what you should spend. Decide your maximum monthly figure with tax, insurance and maintenance included, convert it into a purchase price, and write it down before you see a house you love. Bidding is designed to move that number, and it is much easier to hold a line you set in advance.
Visit at three different times
A weekday morning, a weeknight and a weekend afternoon. You are checking traffic, parking, noise, who is around, whether the street smells of anything, and how dark it is. Sit outside in the car for fifteen minutes with the window down. A second visit costs an hour, and it is the cheapest check on this page.
Line up insurance and lending on this address early
Get an insurance quote for the specific property and tell your lender the address as soon as you are serious. Roof age, claims history, flood exposure and condition problems can all change what you pay or whether you can be covered, and it is better to learn that while you can still walk away.
Read the disclosures and the title work yourself
Do not rely on a summary. The seller's disclosures or property forms, the survey or plan, the title papers and any association documents contain the specific things that later become disputes: past leaks, boundary anomalies, rights of way, debts secured on the property and unpermitted work. Write down every question they raise and get answers in writing before your deadline.
Inspections worth the money
Go to the general inspection
Attend in person and follow the inspector around. What they say out loud in the crawl space is more useful than the report. Where a surveyor's report takes the place of an inspection, ask before you book which level of report covers what, and phone the surveyor afterwards to talk it through.
Sewer camera scope
Worth having on an older house, or on any house with large trees near the line. Ask the inspector what the drains in that street are usually made of and whether that material is one that fails.
A structural engineer
Call one if there are stepped cracks in masonry, doors that will not close or floors that slope. You are paying for a written opinion on the cause and the repair, which is something you can put in front of a seller or a lender.
Tests the area calls for
Radon testing where it is common, and a well water test and septic inspection for any property not on public services. Add a termite or pest inspection in regions where it matters, and a check for a buried heating oil tank where oil heat was once usual.
Roof and chimney
A roofer's opinion on any roof the inspector calls near the end of its life or could not get onto, and a chimney inspection if you plan to light a fire in it.
Quotes, not estimates
Get repair quotes, not repair estimates, for anything you intend to negotiate over. A written contractor number carries weight that an inspection note does not.
Costs people leave out
The cost of buying itself
Taxes, fees and legal work on top of the down payment, which can come to several percent of the price depending on where you buy, plus the first year of insurance and any tax paid in advance.
Moving in
The move, and the immediate essentials: window coverings, a lawnmower or snow blower, tools, bins, keys, locks, replacement smoke alarms.
The first repairs
The repairs the inspection found and you accepted tend to come due sooner than planned. Price them before you buy and count them as part of the cost of moving in.
Running the house
Utility bills are often higher than in a rental, particularly if you are moving from an apartment to a detached house. Maintenance averages out at a real yearly sum: some years it is nothing and then a roof arrives. Insurance and tax can also rise faster than anything else in the monthly figure.
A reserve after closing
Keep cash back. Completing a purchase with an empty account is how a manageable repair becomes credit card debt.