Questions to Ask When Viewing a House

In the past several months, so much has changed for all of us. A global pandemic has wreaked havoc on our daily routines and schedules and many plans have fallen to the wayside. Over these trying months, we have learned how to adapt and utilize new technologies and ways of connecting with each other. Many of us are back at work with children back at school, either in virtual classrooms or in-person. In general, our ability to adapt to circumstances and manage our personal and business lives has allowed us to continue moving ahead on even the biggest life decisions.

Home buyers have continued to shop and view houses by way of virtual home tours throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. For many, this has been an extremely helpful alternative to travel and in-person viewings. 

Virtual Home Tours: How They Work

Virtual home tours work much like in-person home tours. If you have been worried that this approach is not personal enough, you may be surprised to find out that they offer the same level of personal attention and provide ample opportunities for you to ask all the questions you want.

Just as you would prepare your questions for a job interview, it is extremely important to prepare your questions in advance of any virtual home tours. You may be wondering what are the most important questions to ask when viewing a house. Preparing for in-person viewings is important, and perhaps it is doubly so for virtual home tours.

Before you attend a virtual home tour, you will want to learn as much about the home-buying process and the listing as you can. Doing your homework in advance will help you come up with your list of questions to ask when viewing a house.

Here a few key questions to help get you started:

7 Questions to Ask When Viewing a House Virtually

You will want to ask the real estate agent some important questions on either end of your viewing, such as, “Did the seller provide an inspection?” and “What is the review date?” However, there is no need for you to ask these questions during your virtual tour. It is advisable to focus all of your attention on the home itself during these tours. Since you are not seeing the house in person, you will want to pay as much attention to detail as you can and compare what you are viewing with the floor plan and square footage as you move virtually through the space with the agent. 

1. Can you send me a copy of the floor plan?

A couple of ways to prepare for your virtual tour are to ask your real estate agent for a floor plan of the house, as well as a list of any material defects in the home. 

2. Are there any material defects?

When you are viewing a house in-person, you have the ability to pause on certain areas of the house for as long as you would like. You can get close and inspect cabinets, closets, etc. When you are taking a virtual tour of a home you can do the same thing. It just requires a bit more communication. Asking the agent to show you closeups and pause on certain features is not just okay, it’s recommended. 

3. What is the square footage of each room?

You may already have the square footage for the entire house; however, a great question to ask your agent is what is the square footage of each room. This will help you visualize the actual size as you are moving virtually through the layout.

4. What are the ages of the appliances?

All too often homebuyers overlook a very important aspect of houses when they are on tour: appliances. Your list of questions to ask when viewing a house for sale should include, “When were the appliances last updated?” Knowing the age of the washer and dryer, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave will help you determine the appliance portion of your budget.

5. Does the owner have pets?

When taking a virtual tour, think about your five senses and what might be lost in this format. Are there any smells in the house? Does the current - or did the previous - owner have pets? If so, has any flooring been replaced?

6. How quiet is the neighborhood?

You also won’t be able to hear the same things as you would in an in-person viewing. You may want to ask about environmental noises in the surrounding area. All of these are great questions to ask when viewing a house virtually.

7. What amenities are available in the surrounding area?

If you are buying a home in a nearby area, it is highly recommended that you familiarize yourself with the area. You should do this before your virtual tour if at all possible. If it’s not possible to drive through the neighborhood/area before your tour date, then you can go online to find out as much about the area as possible. 

Doing this before your tour date will help you contextualize the house that you are viewing. For example, if walking your dog is extremely important to you, you will want to find out if the house is located on a street with sidewalks. If you are disabled, you will want to ensure that the streets and sidewalks on your street can accommodate your mobility needs. Doing some research about the community before your virtual tour is also a great way to add to your list of questions to ask about the house. 

Are you ready for your virtual home tour? Many of the listings on Homes & Land have got you covered!