Questions one should ask the seller before purchasing a house

rammster

After sitting down for a few hours I came up with a list of questions that I would ask the seller before purchasing house/before putting an offer . I feel that the above questions can also be emailed to the estate agent who can then forward it to the seller.

Here is a list of a few that I thought were good ones. Could everyone build on them please, from the more mundane ones to the more open ended probing type ones.

Who was previously living in the property

How long have you been thinking of selling

Why are you selling this property

When do you want to sell this property

Have you fixed yourself a time frame to sell this property

What about parking near the property and how do I go about it

Is a quicker deal more favorable to you

Have you ever rented this property

Are there any outstanding debts on this property

Has there been major maintenance done to the property in the last 10 years.
If so what

Would it be alright if my builder analyzed the property

If you have lived in the area, what was it like living here. List the one most
outstanding feature and one least desirable feature

what is the council tax for this property

Would you want me to purchase the property in a set timeframe

What would be the desirable qualities in the purchaser that you will look for


................hope this is helpful to some one.

Are there any Pros out there who can add to these.

cheers :beer:

Doozergirl

What would be the desirable qualities of a purchaser?! If I were single, I'd say a nice backside and a Porsche, but I'll settle for someone with the ability to pay for it

Good question about maintenance work (if the answer is yes, this is a good thing, btw!)

Some of your questions are pretty irrelevant (who lived there before? how long have you been thinking of selling? how do I go about parking?) and some are downright personal (any outstanding debts?! Please don't ask! That is for your solicitor to deal with)

You should ask whether there will be a chain and whether they have found somewhere suitable. If they say they are looking for a house but would move into rented/with the in-laws for the right buyer, do not believe them!

Who lives next door? People usually ask "what are the neighbours like" but the simple answer to that is "they're very nice". If you asks who lives next door and what they're like, they'll be forced to tell you that they have 6 kids and a Rottweiler, and "they're very nice"

rammster

Parking is something that never gets mentioned on these property showcase leaflets. So if the leaflet doesn't say where you could park your car the answer usually is that there isn't a parking. Then there is no time wasting involved. If you have 2 cars , you will keep away from such a property or should pop the question straight away.

It is also important to assess the seller's situation and thats where these open ended questions will help. A willing/motivated seller (wanting to sell quickly) will be able to be more flexible with price negotiation. And the other questions are just assessing that , by gauzing the real circumstances of the seller.

I had a word with my estate agent , and he will not have any problems to give these questions to the seller. As it proves that I am a motivated buyer and also to a point that the estate agent is also working hard and not sleeping away.

Some of these questions IMHO are too personal, and perhaps need to be re framed. Thanks to doozergirl for re framing the neighbors question.

Anybody else out there with a better command over English???

barnaby-bear

Doozergirl wrote:

Who lives next door? People usually ask "what are the neighbours like" but the simple answer to that is "they're very nice". If you asks who lives next door and what they're like, they'll be forced to tell you that they have 6 kids and a Rottweiler, and "they're very nice"

Ask if neighbours are owner occupied and if they are privately rented/housing association. People who own *tend* to be far better neighbours and tend to have less turnover reducing chance of bad tenants next door.

cruella_de_vile

Without sounding negative I think some of your questions sound like something you would find on a job application form, for instance - If you have lived in the area, what was it like living here. List the one most outstanding feature and one least desirable feature and as Doozergirl said the debt one is a very personal question.

I think I would be inclined to tell you where to go with your questions if you asked me

ds1980

rammster wrote:

Parking is something that never gets mentioned on these property showcase leaflets. So if the leaflet doesn't say where you could park your car the answer usually is that there isn't a parking. Then there is no time wasting involved. If you have 2 cars , you will keep away from such a property or should pop the question straight away.

It is also important to assess the seller's situation and thats where these open ended questions will help. A willing/motivated seller (wanting to sell quickly) will be able to be more flexible with price negotiation. And the other questions are just assessing that , by gauzing the real circumstances of the seller.

I had a word with my estate agent , and he will not have any problems to give these questions to the seller. As it proves that I am a motivated buyer and also to a point that the estate agent is also working hard and not sleeping away.

Some of these questions IMHO are too personal, and perhaps need to be re framed. Thanks to doozergirl for re framing the neighbors question.

Anybody else out there with a better command over English???

Ive never understood this obsession with parking. I have sold a number of properties in places with horrendous parking and I mean horrendous!!!! The best example would be a house valued by 4 ea's average was about £170k because of ceiling prices and the parking issue we put it on for £184 and got asking price the day it went on.

I could give you more. Yes obviously some people would like a drive garage etc etc but i don't think it puts buyers off if the house is right.

cruella_de_vile

ds1980 wrote:

Ive never understood this obsession with parking. I have sold a number of properties in places with horrendous parking and I mean horrendous!!!! The best example would be a house valued by 4 ea's average was about £170k because of ceiling prices and the parking issue we put it on for £184 and got asking price the day it went on.

I could give you more. Yes obviously some people would like a drive garage etc etc but i don't think it puts buyers off if the house is right.

I personally wouldn't look at a house that didn't have private parking because it is an issue for me, so maybe people who are not that bothered tend to look in areas where parking is a problem

Willapp_2

ds1980 wrote:

Ive never understood this obsession with parking...

I could give you more. Yes obviously some people would like a drive garage etc etc but i don't think it puts buyers off if the house is right.

It absolutely does put people off! Parking is something that, along with location, you just can't change about a property (well, not in most cases anyway). There is nothing - IMO - more frustrating that coming home from work each day, and fighting for a space near your house, sometimes ending up parked several streets away. In bad weather you get soaked, and you can't see your car from the house to make sure no sod has nicked it!

In fact, I would go so far to say that parking is the most under-considered aspect of newly built housing estates - developers are so concerned with getting as many properties onto a given land area as possible, that parking is often an afterthought. Most couples these days have two cars, therefore need two spaces - most 2 bed (and some 3) have only a single allocated space, leaving the second car without a space. We have this situation in our current property, but fortunately there is enough visitor parking to accomodate everyone who lives nearby - this is rare though!

I simply wouldn't consider a house that didn't have sufficient parking, regardless of the price - no amount of money can "buy" a parking space for your house, if you live on an estate.

rammster

Not only the presence of parking but also the space available fopr parking is an issue. I have rejected a property because it did have a small space in front of house in a very narrow street. So narrow that all residents who would park their cars , would actually push the side mirrors of their cars in. And thats on Yaris's not Ford Galaxy's. For me I drive a big car and it is certainly an issue for me. Come to think of it should have bought a smart car instead.

None of these questions are too personal , if you are a willing seller. They can be avoided. Some of them completely excluded. But the point of having this thread is to add to this list of questions , as to what you thought were the few most important questions you will ask before buying/putting in an offer or even viewing the property.

I wouldn't even view a property if I got the slightest idea that the seller is not motivated (or can wait till cows come home), or if it doesnt have a parking . I am still a bit more forgiving about room sizes though.

cruella_de_vile

rammster wrote:

Are there any outstanding debts on this property

None of these questions are too personal , if you are a willing seller.

How is that not a personal question? And what business would it be of a prospective purchaser?

rammster

Understanding the seller's situation is in fact the most important thing you should be doing before putting in the offer for the property. If this chap is under debt he is more willing to sell quickly and he is more willing for offers around 10-15% of market value