There are a number of things for home buyers to remember when buying a house. And when you find a house that you love, it can be hard to remember exactly what you should be asking.
However, if you don’t get all the questions answered you may end up buying something that you didn’t expect. So, here are 7 questions that you will want to remember in the process when buying a house.
- What is the history of the home?
Knowing the history of what a home has sold for will help you know what the seller may be trying to get out of the house. This helps you to know what they paid for the house and what others have paid for it in the past. This information does need to be taken into consideration along with the current market value.
- What are the property taxes?
The property tax that you will pay on the house varies depending on the area that you are buying in. It’s important that you know how much the taxes are going to be to make sure that you can afford the house.
- Is there a new roof?
The average cost of replacing a roof is over $7,000. It is to your advantage to find out how long the roof has been on the house you’re looking to buy so you know what kind of expenses will be coming in the near future.
- Are there parking restrictions?
Some neighborhoods have rules about the parking. Some places are stricter than others. There are neighborhoods that will not allow you to park on the street, which makes it very difficult when you have guests over if your driveway is not big enough.
- Have there been any major renovations completed?
It doesn’t mean that there are going to be problems if renovations have been completed, but when buying a house you’re going to want to find out if the work was permitted. Unpermitted work was not verified as being done to code which means that there could be problems with it. It also helps you know if the seller has put a lot of money into the house and is going to want to make a good portion of that back.
- How much do the utilities cost?
Whether you are coming from an apartment that you rented or just moving from another house it’s important to know what the average utility costs are in the house that you’re looking at buying. Utility costs can have a wide range and you want to be prepared for those monthly payments. Don’t forget to ask how much the HOA fees are if you live in a neighborhood with a homeowner’s association.
- Are there any warranties?
If there are newer appliances or systems like HVAC in the house you want to find out if there are any warranties remaining. These are important to have answers to.
The more you know about the age of the major systems and appliances will help you decide whether you should purchase a home warranty and what expenses you can expect in the future
It’s important to ask questions throughout the entire process of buying a house. Don’t assume that you know the answer to anything. The more you are able to learn the better decision you can make.
