Visiting An Open House: What To Ask?

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It’s a new year, and you may be looking for a new home. A house on the market has caught your attention and you want to visit, but so is the case for many other interested families/couples. You have an objective of going there, and getting every single bit of information that you possibly can, but how do you do that? You will need to ask the right questions to the agent, who is responsible for selling this house. There must be one or several reasons the owners want a fresh start as well!

1) Are the owners unhappy with this home for any reason?

It’s been put up for sale, so there is always a chance the owners are unhappy with a particular problem and are finding it a hassle to resolve. You want to make sure the agent tells you the truth behind the decision to sell the home. As much as it may be for investment reasons, you cannot rule out problems the owners may be having with the home.

2) Any offers on this home?

You want to make sure you aren’t too late to the party, as a family who may have already seen the home may already have made an offer to make it their own; so that the visit won’t feel like a waste of time. Also, if the amount of the offer can be bettered by you, it is something to consider as well! It is not meant to be an auction, but the O.B.O concept can still apply!

3) Extra monthly bills?

Living in Canada means the winter cannot be ignored, which leads to another issue: heating. You want your home to stay warm and cozy during the coldest time of the year, but this does incur an extra cost; heating bills. How much more of an expense is that? If it feels too steep, can you make changes to be more energy efficient?

4) Previous renovations?

Many homeowners renovate portions of their houses before they sell again, so that the value increases, or because said portions were getting rusty. Every home needs a fix every few years, so it’s always likely changes were made during the family’s stay in the home. You should ask the agent what was fixed before it was put on the market, and what additional changes could be made if you were to move into the home.

5) How long was the owners’ stay?

Probably the first question you should probably ask the agent is “How long have they resided here?”. It could be an insight into how long you may stay there yourself if you bought the house. Every length of residency will be different, but given you would be paying off a mortgage, you will want to stay at the house for longer than that.