What Questions to Ask at a House Showing

When you are buying a home – particularly your first home, but is still true no matter how many times you do it – it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the prospect and excited about the potential of a home. Over the years, we have done a lot of education to help home buyers find the perfect home – and large part of that education is getting them to ask the right questions when they are looking at a home so they will be as happy and excited about the home on day 3,650 of owning it as they are on day one. 

Questions to ask before the showing

Before you go to the viewing, you should connect with your Realtor. They should provide you with background information about the property from the listing agent as well as the publicly available information. Doing this can save you time—both by avoiding these questions at the viewing itself as well as highlighting any red flags that may keep you from viewing in the first place. 

• How long has the property been on the market?
• What’s the cost of comparable homes in the area?
• Does it fit most of my needs?

Questions about the listing

Prepare for the viewing by getting background information from the listing agent about the property. For example, if you find out the house has been on the market longer than the average time, that can point to trends or issues that you should be aware of before buying.

• How old are the major systems and appliances?
• Have any pending contracts fallen through, Is so, why?
• When was it built? When was the last renovation?

Questions about the seller(s)

Knowing about the sellers can help give you a better understanding of why the home is for sale, prior offers, as well as the anticipated timeline. This can also help you understand how likely the seller is to accept financing, insurance, inspection and appraisal contingencies. These are questions your Realtor should be able to ask the listing agent, and is a great reason to hire an experienced Realtor. If you hire an experienced Realtor, they are likely to know the listing agent and have worked with them in the past so they can ask these questions without creating friction. 

• Why are the owners selling?
• What’s an ideal timeline look like for the seller(s)?
• Have there been any offers?
• Are there contract contingencies they won’t accept?

Questions about the house

Once you’re at the viewing itself, it’s time to discuss the home in full. You’ll want to look at the property disclosures so you can get an idea of what inspections have been done on the property. 

• What are the biggest issues?
• What work has been done since the current owners moved in?
• How much are utilities?
• When was the roof replaced?
• How old are the home’s major systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc)?
• Has the home been tested for mold and termites?
• Wastewater—sewer or septic?

Questions by room

A house is not just the sum of its parts. As you move through the property, make sure to have questions ready for each individual room.

Kitchen questions

• Has the kitchen been renovated? When? Are the permits available?
• Have there been any major repairs?
• Water issues, any leaks?
• Are the appliances included? How old are they? Are warranties included?

Bedroom and common area questions

• Any additions, renovations, or updates? Are the permits available?
• How old are the windows?
• Can I measure to make sure my furniture would fit?

Bathroom questions

• Has the room been updated or renovated?
• Have there been any water intrusions or leaks?
• Can I check the water pressure?
• When were the fixtures last updated?

Yard & landscaping questions

• Where’s the property line, Does the seller have a survey?
• How well does water drain from the house? Are there any areas that don’t drain well?
• What’s sun exposure like in summer? In the afternoon?
• How often have the trees been trimmed?

Questions about the neighborhood

Your home is also situated in a community, so you should ask questions about the neighborhood and area overall as this could also affect the value of the property.

• What’s in the area? (Restaurants, shopping, parks, etc.)
• Is there an HOA?
• Where can I find information about schools? Is there a lot of traffic during school pick-up/drop-off?

General questions you should ask yourself

Not every question will be tied to a specific room or to the neighborhood. For example, you should ask yourself:

• Are there enough outlets?
• How strong is my cell signal?
• What are the service providers in the area?
• What updates would you like to make?
• Would your furniture fit?

The Kern Team

We are ready to help you transition to your new forever home. Finding the right home is only half the journey. Our team of award-winning experts can help make sure the journey is as rewarding as possible. 

Give us a call to schedule a conversation today.