What to ask at a property viewing?

Honestly, the biggest questions you need to answer are:
 

• Do I like it?
• Can I see myself living here?
• Will this space work for my needs?
• How long do I want to live here?
• Does the property seem to be in good condition?
• What updates would I want to make?
• Do I like the area?
• Do the neighboring properties seem well-maintained?
• Is this a good location for my commute? Even during rush hour?
• Am I happy with the school district?

 
Those are all more or less questions you can answer for yourself. Below are some common questions my buyers ask me during and after showings. Some may be easy to answer while at the house. For others, your agent may need to follow up with the listing agent.
 

• Why are the owners selling?
• Did the sellers provide an inspection report? Did they provide a sewer scope or septic inspection?
• If not, are they allowing pre-inspections? Have any other buyers done pre-inspections?
• Are all appliances included in the sale?
• Does my car fit in the garage? Is it too difficult to maneuver in and out? (If you’re not sure and the garage isn’t filled with stuff, try pulling you car in to fit-test the garage. You would be surprised how small some garages are, and how challenging it can be to get in and out.)
• How old is the roof?
• How old are major appliances (water heater, furnace, etc)? Are there recent service records?
• What updates have been done? Were permits obtained if necessary?
• Are there any weird smells? If it’s strongly scented, are they trying to cover up any weird smells?
• Are there any obvious signs of water intrusion/water damage? Does the yard slope away from the house (good) or towards it (bad)?
• Are there any big, obvious foundation cracks?
• Are there any retaining walls on the property and can you see any leaning or visible cracks?
• Is there any indication of upcoming construction projects nearby? How will those affect this property?
• What is the zoning and has the zoning recently changed? Are there plans for it to change? How will that affect the property?
• Does the property have any wetland or environmentally critical areas? Especially around Seattle, watch out for “peat settlement prone areas” (also known as peat bogs).
• Is it in a flood zone? What is the likelihood of flooding?
• What has buyer interest been like? How popular is the listing?
• Is there a review date? Do they have any early offers? Is the seller open to accepting an early offer, or do they plan to hold to the review date?
• What are the prices of other recent pending listings in the area? How many offers did those listings get?
• Do comps support the price? Are there comps that support a higher price if we need to offer more?