A home is typically the largest single investment you’ll ever make, and you’ll likely spend a lot of time and energy searching for the perfect place. By the time you're ready to buy, you'll already know a lot about the house. However, it's a good idea to do a little more detective work and get answers to a few investigative questions. It will give you additional peace of mind in your purchase.

A conversation with the seller and the seller's agent and a review of the public records can fill in the blanks that will help you make a better decision. Contacting the county property appraiser for the home's location is a great starting point. Here are the 10 investigative questions to ask a home seller.

1. Why Are You Selling?

There are many reasons why people move, including job relocation, desire to get into a smaller/larger house, life events (marriage, the birth of a child, death of a spouse, or another reason), and retirement. While you may not always get a truthful answer, asking why t꧂he seller 🌱is moving can be helpful in determining how much room there is for negotiating.

Depending on the reason for moving, the seller may be willing to accept a lower offer if it means they can be out of the home faster. Of course, if the seller is in no hurry to sell, there may be little room for negotia🅠tion.

2. How Long Has the Home Been on the Market?

One of the primary reasons a house ends up staying on the market for a long time is that it was priced too high to begin wit𒐪h. This mispricing is often a function of a poor strategy.

The longer a house stays on the market, the harder it becomes to sell, since the listing becomes “stale” and buyers think there must be something inherently wrong with the property (otherwise it would have sold by now, right?). If the home has been on the market for a long time, the seller may🦋 be motivated and more willing to negotiate.

3. What Were the Previous Selling Prices?

Knowing how much the seller paid is helpful for a couple of reaso⭕ns. First, it tells you if values in the local market have gone up or down since the seller purchased the home. Second, it may help you determine how open the sellers may be to negotiation, and here’s why: If the sellers bought the home at rock bottom, they may be more willing to move down on price since they will still make a reasonable profit. If your sellers purchased the home for close to or more than the asking price, however, they probably won’t be willing to move much—if at all—on price.

If the sellers won’t tell you what they paid, you can find out by checking the public records. They are available at the Register of Deeds (or a similar office, such as Recᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚorder of Deeds) in the county where the property is located.

4. What Is Included in the Sale?

Anything that is permanently attached to the home (for example, faucets, cabinets, and window blinds) is considered a fixture and is geꦆnerally included in a home sale. Sometimes, legal definitions determine what is𒁃—and what is not—included in the sale, but sometimes an item can fall into a gray area.

When in doubt, and to avoid disappointment, ask what’s included in the sale and get it in writing. Pay close attention to items such as outdoor play equipment, sheds, lighting fixtures, appliances, window treatments, wall-mounted sound systems, and anything else you would be upset to find missing iܫf you moved into the home.

5. Are There Area Nuisan🐬ces or Problem Ne♛ighbors?

Neighborhoods can be affected by any number of nuisances, including speeding on community streets, traffic congestion, noise (from traffic, neighbors, barking dogs, and/or nearby businesses), crime, bothersome odors (including cigarette smoke), litter, poor maintenance, bright lights, and problem neighbors who cause disturbances. While you may not get a particularlꦬy detailed answer, it’s a good idea to at least try to find out about any problems before going through with a purchase. In addition to asking the seller about nuisances, you can visit the local police department to research crime statistics for the neighborhood.

6. What Are the Hassles With This House?

Disclosure statements serve to inform buyers about a home’s condition and help protect sellers from future legal action if problems are found. While disclosures vary by state and even county, sellers must make disclosures about such items as existing liens, lead-based paint, natural hazards (e.g., floodplain), termite problems, history of property-line disputes, and defects in major systems and/or appliances. In fact, there are eight 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:disclosures sellers must make; it makes sense to ask about all of them, just in case.

Because there may be problems with the house that the seller knows about—but is not required by law to disclose—it can be helpful to ask point-blank: Are there any potential hassles with this house? You might find out about problems ahead of time and be able to negotiate repair costs. Of course, you should still get a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:comprehensive inspection before buying the house since t﷽here might be issues the seller doesn’t know about or won’t wil🅘lingly share.

7. What Recent Repairs Have You Completed?

While disclosure rules vary from state to state, home sellers generally must tel𒉰l you about any current problems with the property—but they don’t have to tell you about any past problems that have been corrected. If it’s already fixed, why is it important to know? Because it might lead to another problem in the future.

A leaky roof might have been repaired, for example—but what was d🥃one about the water that ended up in the attic? Ask if the seller has had to fix any problems with the house, and how well the solution worked. It’s also helpful to find out wh🎉o did the work in case there is a similar problem in the future.

8. How Old Are the House's Components?

Ask about the age and condition 💜of key components of the house so you are prepared for any big expenses you could be facing. Start with the roof: Newer ones may last anywhere from 15 to 50 years, depending on the roofingꦗ material. An asphalt roof lasts about 15 to 20 years, so if it’s already 15 years old, you might be looking at a fairly immediate large expense. Also ask about the heating and cooling systems, appliances, water heater, septic, plumbing, and electrical systems.

9. What Major Renovations Have You Undertaken?

Bad renovations, sketchy plumbing, and mediocre construction can end up costing you both financially and emotionally—and even in terms of your hꦿealth. It’s important to ask if any major repairs and renovations have been done t𝓡o the home and who did them: Was it a licensed contractor or a DIY project?

See whether the seller can produce a building permit for repairs and renovations that require one. Such improvements include any structural additions, installing a new roof, adding/relocating electrical outlets, adding/relocating plumbing fixtures, and installing/replacing an H𝓀VAC (heating, venting, and air conditioning) system.

If the seller doesn't have the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:building permits (perhaps the work was done by an earlier owner), double-check with the local building depa🐓rtment, usually through the county or city authorities.

If a permit should have♐ been issued—but wasn’t—the building official may have the authority to force the current owner (which could be you, if you buy the house) to obtain the permit and satisfy the current code requirements.ꦏ This could turn into a very costly project.

10. What Did You Like Most?

This question might put the seller on the spot, or seem a touch personal. Bu🅰t it can get the person talking about the home, neighborhood, and community. You might learn something positive that you might not have known otherwise—the tight-knit community, the short walk to the library, the way the sun shines through the living-room windows in the afternoon, the low heating bills, or the wildflowers that grow in the summer on the hill behind the house.

The Bottom Line

Listing and marketing materials include lots of details about a house (the number of bedrooms and baths and the square footage, for example) and the showing lets you see it firsthand. But talking to the seller can help you learn exactly what you could be getting into. If you have difficulty connecting with the seller, try to get some of these questions answered through 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:your real estate agent.