Questions To Ask When Buying a House: 60 Questions for First-Time Buyers
Written by
Daria Uhlig
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
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A home is a major investment, and for most buyers, it comes with a 30-year commitment to pay off a mortgage. Naturally, you’d have lots of questions before and after your offer has been accepted. Organizing your thoughts in advance will make this due diligence easier and more efficient.
Why Asking the Right Questions Matters
A home purchase has a lot of moving parts. You’ll want detailed information about the home itself, of course, but financial, legal and lifestyle considerations are important, too. The questions you ask could mean the difference between a positive home buying experience and one that leaves you with buyer’s remorse.
What Is Buyer’s Remorse?
Buyer’s remorse is the feeling of regret you might feel after making a purchase. It can hit especially hard after a large purchase, such as a home. Once you know the right questions to ask, you can hopefully avoid some of the common issues such as unexpected costs, costly fixes or even issues with the neighborhood such as noise.
Questions To Ask Before You Start House Hunting
Take some time before you start looking at homes to evaluate your finances and your readiness to buy a home.
- Am I ready for the personal and financial responsibilities of homeownership?
- Are my credit, debt and income ready for scrutiny by mortgage lenders?
- What is my budget?
- What home features are must-haves, and what features are nice-to-haves or deal breakers?
- Do I need an agent, or can I represent myself in a sale?
- What penalties will I have to pay if I break my lease to purchase a home?
Key Questions About the Property
The following questions pertain to things you should be aware of as you consider making an offer on a property. To help you evaluate any home you’re interested in buying, your agent will prepare a market analysis showing recent sale prices of comparable homes. The analysis will include an offer price recommendation and a rough estimate of closing costs.
- What is the asking price of the house?
- What are the estimated total purchase costs?
- What’s a reasonable earnest money deposit?
- Does the asking price seem reasonable for the condition and location of the house?
- What’s included in the sale of the house? Is the seller planning to remove any fixtures?
- How long has the house been on the market?
- Has the price been reduced recently, and if so, by how much?
- Why is the current owner selling the property?
- Note that the seller is under no obligation to disclose this.
Questions About the Neighborhood
The neighborhood you live in has a major impact on your enjoyment of your home. In addition to giving you the lay of the land, visiting the area at different times of the day and on both weekdays and weekends can give you a feel for the lifestyle you’d enjoy there.
- Where can I get information about crime rates?
- What are the nearby schools, and what are their ratings?
- Is public transportation conveniently located?
- How long will my commute be to work and other places I visit regularly?
- Are conveniences like grocery stores and restaurants located nearby?
- Are there recreational options such as a community center, park or playground within walking distance?
- How is the local real estate market trending?
- Is there new construction in the area that might signify growth?
Questions About the Inspection Process
While sellers can have their home inspected before they put it up for sale, and they must follow state laws on disclosing defects, buyers are responsible for ordering their own inspections. If you want the ability to back out because neither side can negotiate on price or repairs in the event of an unsatisfactory inspection report, you’ll need to include an inspection contingency in your offer.
- How much lead time do I need to order an inspection–a few days to a week?
- How much will it cost?
- What does the home inspection include?
- Will I need special inspections such as well and septic, wood-boring pests or radon?
- Is the home being offered as-is, or might the seller be willing to negotiate if the inspection reveals issues that need repair?
Questions About the Home’s Condition
The inspection will reveal detailed information about the home’s condition. Ideally, though, you’ll also get a seller’s disclosure of any issues the current owner is aware of, plus important information about the home’s systems and maintenance and repair history.
- How old is the house?
- Has the house had any major repairs or renovations? If so, did the seller have any required permits and inspections?
- Are there any known issues with the house?
- How old is the roof, and when was it last replaced or repaired? Are there visible signs of leaks or damage?
- Has the basement ever had water? Does it have a sump pump?
- Is there evidence of mold, mildew or water stains?
- Do windows and doors need to be replaced?
- Are the plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems up to date and in good repair?
- Is the house energy efficient in terms of proper insulation and weather sealing?
- Is the yard prone to flooding?
Frequently Asked Questions When Buying a Home
Here are a few bonus questions to ask when you're buying a home.- What should I do if I find issues during the home inspection?
- The first step would be to try to negotiate repairs or a price adjustment unless the home is sold as-is. If you have an inspection contingency, you can back out of the sale without consequence if you're unable to reach a satisfactory solution with the seller.
- How much can I negotiate the price of a house?
- That depends on the market and the seller's willingness to negotiate. You may have more negotiation power if your offer is strong in other respects, such as offering flexibility on the closing date or a willingness to buy the house as-is or both.
- How do I know if I'm getting a good deal on a house?
- Your agent should prepare a market analysis with an offer price recommendation based on the sold prices of nearby comparable homes.
- Should I consider getting a second inspection for specific problems, like foundation or roof issues?
- Not unless you have concerns about your inspector's findings. You might wish to follow up on the inspector's repair recommendations by asking a contractor to provide an estimate for repairs.
- What happens if the house appraisal is lower than the asking price?
- That depends on the terms of the contract. If you have an appraisal contingency, you can cancel the sale without consequence if the seller won't lower the price to match the appraisal. Otherwise, you'll have to pay the difference in cash.
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- Rocket Mortgage. 2024. "Comparative Market Analysis (CMA): A Guide."
- Associa. "What's an HOA Resale Certificate?"
- Zillow. "Get Pre-Qualified for a Mortgage."
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 2024. "What is a Loan Estimate?"
- Rocket Mortgage. 2024. "Property Title Search: What It Is And How It Works."
- Maryland Insurance Administration. "A Consumer Guide to Title Insurance."
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "Closing Disclosure Explainer."
