Most of those questions are common sense, concerning the history of the house, the age and condition of the roof or the HVAC system, and the neighborhood. But there are some not-so-common questions that are also worth asking. These eight questions might seem a bit random, but they can alert you to big problems before you sign your life away.
Old customers might show up unannounced, unaware that the house has been sold, as happened to this unhappy new homeowner. This could potentially include folks who are upset with their experience with the business, or to whom the business owes money.
Has the house ever been hit by a car?
This might seem like a crazy question to ask, but if the house you’re considering buying is located at an intersection, at the bottom of a hill, or around a blind corner, it's worth asking if it’s been hit by cars—and if so, how often. Homes being hit by cars isn’t common, but if the house has been hit once, there’s a good chance the conditions that caused the accident still exist, and it could be hit again.
Most of the time you can safely assume that what you see in and around the house will be yours once the checks clear and the deed is transferred. That usually includes the outdoor spaces, like a backyard, the appliances, and, say, the finished basement. But you should never assume, because sometimes what you see is not at all what you get.
There’s even a story about a seller who literally removed an entire finished basement from the house, leveraging the fact that below-grade areas are usually not considered part of the living space. You might not need to worry about the basement in your dream home, but it underscores the wisdom of making sure you know everything that is included in the sale.
Do all the outlets work?
But an unscrupulous homeowner might add nonfunctional outlets to give the appearance of such an upgrade, leaving it to you to actually connect them. Or, maybe the house has old wiring that only looks like it was upgraded and modernized. Either way, asking if the outlets all actually work—or, better yet, testing them with a volt meter yourself—is a good idea.
You’d assume something like that would be disclosed before the sale, and it usually is if it’s the house itself that has officially been deemed historic. But if you move into an area considered historic, you might be subject to rules regarding how you can alter or update a home that haven't been previously disclosed to you, just like this unlucky homeowner. If your new house has old charm, it’s worth asking, or checking directly with the local government.
Why exactly was the basement renovated?
Old houses sometimes have ancient oil tanks buried underground. If a house had oil heat in the past, burying the tank hid it from view—no one wants an ugly, rusting tank sitting in their backyard. And if the tank was properly decommissioned—drained, filled with foam, and capped—it’s nothing to worry (at least until you decide to dig up the yard).
How are those trees doing?
Trees are terrific, and offer a lot of benefits to a property. But trees can become a real hazard if they’re not cared for properly—they can fall and damage the house, become a home for insects and rodents that infiltrate the house, and can cause conflict between you and your neighbors. Taking care of trees can be expensive, so many homeowners prefer to just enjoy the shade and assume that nature will take care of itself.
It pays to ask about the trees on your potential property—how often were they pruned and trimmed? Has an arborist inspected the trees for diseases, infestations, or damage? If the trees are old and haven’t been properly cared for, you might be buying a lot of work and problems instead of a beautiful, shady yard.
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