2. Half the fun of house hunting is visualizing the
fun you’ll have when the seller clears out and
the place is yours, all yours. But wait one
second, partner once the seller is gone, so is a
rich repository of information about your new
home. Most sellers know things about
their/your home, and the neighborhood, which
could make your life much easier, for years to
come.
3. What’s the history of the house? Many disclosure forms
and laws require the sellers to divulge a number of things
about the history of the property, from how it’s
been maintained, to what
systems have broken down,
to whether someone has died
on the property. However, you
might like to go deeper, finding
out such things as whether the property was a rental,
whether they recommend a set maintenance schedule
(grab the gardener’s number, if you like the lawn!) for any
part of the property, or whether they are aware of any
interesting stories about past inhabitants or uses of the
property that might provide useful or just plain old
interesting information.
4. 2. Where to go and who to know? Home sellers
can be the best source of information that
doesn’t seem super important, but can actually
take a long time to figure out yourself, like which
of the 6 dry cleaners on the main drag does the
best alterations, or which neighbor organizes
the Neighborhood Watch or the pug playgroups.
5. 3. What surprised them when they moved
in? Pleasantly or otherwise - moving in is always
the occasion for a surprise. They might have
been surprised at how friendly the neighbors
were, how much light a particular room gets at a
given time of day, how many people could fit
around the table in the dining room at
Thanksgiving or how noisy/quiet the school
across the street is. If they were surprised, you
might be, too - so it’s great to know what
shocked them before you move in.
6. 4. Where is it and how does it work? Where do
you take the trash out to, and on what day of
the week? Where are the emergency water and
electrical shutoffs, the breaker box and the
utility meters? Where’s the thermostat or the
special wrench that turns on the gas
fireplace? How does that work? Some of these
are things a good home inspector will cover, but
if yours didn’t or you weren’t able to make the
inspection, some kind home sellers will happily
brief you on these items.
7. 5. Is there anything you’d like to leave? There
are really two flavors of this question. First, you
might have your eye on some item of the seller’s
personal property, like a perfectly-sized print or
perfectly-shaped breakfast booth, that you’d like
to buy from them - if so, make an offer!
8. 6. What did I forget to ask? Whether you’re a
new homeowner or new to the area, this is
where you throw yourself on the seller’s mercy
and ask them to tell you anything you might
have forgotten to ask. It’s not overkill to
exchange phone numbers or email addresses -
now, every transaction isn’t this friendly or
cordial, but many are or could be. It’s definitely
in your best interests to leave the transaction on
good terms with the seller.
9. Buyers: what other things would you like the
seller to tell you before you move in?
10. Randy Bett
Investment Realtor/Author/Investor
Real Estate Professionals Inc.
Better Group Real Estate
202-5403 Crowchild Trail NW
Calgary, AB T3B 4Z1
Phone:403-774-7464 Ext:1
Fax:403-208-0082
Toll Free fax:888-711-6801
