For most people, buying a home is a very important decision to make. Buying the wrong home with hidden flaws can cause you a lot of discomfort and financial burden down the line, so you need to know what to ask your realtor about a home before you buy it.
In case you’re in the market for a new home, let’s go over some of the most important questions to ask before you sign that dotted line.
1. What is the Foundation Like?
The foundation of a home includes not only the very base of it but the walls as well. It’s important that the foundation be durable, airtight, and level. A foundation without these characteristics is likely to crack, shift, and even flood.
Signs of an especially strong foundation would include a tilt up construction process being used in the building of the walls, ICF’s, or both. ICF’s are a great sign because the unique design of them makes them much more airtight and durable than typical foundation materials like concrete or wood.
2. When Was it Last Remodeled?
Remodeling projects can add a lot of value to a home and allow you to go that much longer without having to remodel that specific area of your home. New durable countertops, for instance, are something you need to know about.
Depending on the materials used and the price that the home is going for, you might be able to get a good deal. Popular, trending features like hand rails would also be a high-value item, especially if you are a fan of aging-in-place features or you expect disabled or elderly visitors.
3. What is the Surrounding Area is Like
Another question many people fail to ask is, what is the surrounding area like? This can encompass everything about the surrounding area like weather patterns, crime rate, neighborhood activities, land features, nearby highways, airports, or train tracks, and proximity to stores businesses.
A lot of times you might find a house that looks nice and is well-priced but it’s in a crime-ridden neighborhood or way far away from any businesses. This may or may not matter to you, but it can’t hurt to be informed in case you don’t like the idea of worrying about natural disasters or being woken up in the middle of the night from highway traffic.
Any Realtor Should Know the Answer to These Questions
The questions we’ve laid out here today are incredibly vital to learning everything you need to know about a home before you buy it. By getting informed about the state of the foundation, when it was last remodeled, and what the surrounding area is like, you can filter out homes that may give you more trouble than they’re worth.
These aren’t the only things you should find out about a prospective home before you move into it, but they are certainly a solid place to start when it comes to pressing your realtor for all the information you need.
Team Foote knows the Questions and the Answers you’ll need.