What to ask during a walk through when buying a house
From garage door openers to checking the sprinkler shut offs, homebuyers should know what to ask before they close on a home. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
It's a scene that plays out all over Long Island.
A real estate agent and a first-time homebuyer head into their final walk-through, before the buyer officially purchases their new home.
"Any questions?" The real estate agent asks.
The buyer's response? Silence. Because who knows where to even begin?
"There's such minimal pre-education now, on training first-time homebuyers," said Dominique Ehrlich, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker American Homes in Smithtown.
"Agents assume that because people have lived in a home before, they're aware of how houses work. But I don't think they realize that unless you're very hands-on or doing it as a child, or are aware from your family experience, you're not going to know until you're in your house."
These real estate agents offered some guidance on the questions to ask and things to look for during a final walk-through, before getting to the closing table — and some tips that pertain specifically to Long Island homes.
Big-ticket items
Big-ticket items should be checked out before the walk-through, during the inspection. That includes the roof and HVAC system, Ehrlich said.
"These are all pre-walk-through things," she added.
There are some big-ticket items that new homebuyers might not even consider, but can become costly if they're not maintained.
"Windows are the last thing most people change in their house," Ehrlich said. "Windows are a huge cost; your heat goes out your house very rapidly. It costs you thousands over the years, so that's a very important thing."
Fireplaces can be pricey too, so it's important for buyers to ask sellers when they were last serviced, she said. Additionally, "pools are a large-ticket item that someone who has never owned a home, will have no idea about," Ehrlich said.
Once these items are properly checked during the inspection, along with things like plumbing, water and electricity, buyers should make sure everything has remained in working order.
"We definitely want to make sure that the big-ticket items are in performing order and in a condition that the seller is comfortable living in, and they feel that it's safe for them the same way it would be safe for buyers," said Rachelle Fabre, a real estate agent with Signature Premier Properties in Bay Shore.
Take it room by room
Take in the details of each room during the final walk-through, Fabre said.
"I'll start with the kitchen: We're going to make sure all the appliances are in working order, so that means all the ranges on the stove are working, we're checking the sink to make sure there are no leaks, we're running the dishwasher to make sure that is operating properly and there are no new findings that we weren't aware of previously," she explained.
While walking through the home, the buyer should have a list of items to check: Outlets, faucets, toilets, light switches. The purpose of the final walk-through is to make sure all of these little things are functioning as they should, and to ask questions about the home's major systems. For instance, "we always ask where the emergency cut-offs are located," Ehrlich said.
Another example, "a first-time homebuyer is probably not familiar with in-ground sprinkler systems," Fabre said. "So they want to ask where the box is located, how to operate it, how to turn it back on and how to blow it out, and maybe what time period of the year would you typically blow out the sprinkler system."
Any cracks, leaks or holes should also be flagged during this time, if not earlier during the inspection process.
Buyers, gather what you'll need (and make sure the sellers do the same)
So, back to those questions a first-time buyer might want to ask. It can be anything: Big or small.
"Know where the extra garage door openers are," Ehrlich said.
And on the topic of keys, "another question, which people don't ask a lot: 'Does anyone else have keys that you're aware of, like service workers, or anyone else?' " she said. "Replacing your locks is the first thing you should do in your house. And keypads too; you can usually reset them."
Buyers can also ask the seller for contact information of landscaping or maintenance workers, Ehrlich added.
And the buyer can use this time to do some last-minute information-gathering, such as getting the age of certain appliances or finding out when the cesspool was last pumped, Fabre said.
"Any repairs that have been done, we're asking for the seller to show us the work has been done, and asking to provide receipts of that," she added.
And sometimes it's good to keep a line of communication open between the seller and the buyer even after the closing process, if any questions come up later, Ehrlich said.
"Half the time, the owner will be there to tell us what is what," she said. "They'll give you all the manuals, they'll give you all the keys. Sometimes I'll tell them to exchange numbers, and most of the time, sellers are fine with doing that."
And then, the seller can be on their way. But, "make sure the house is free and clear of all of their objects," Fabre said.
Long Island specifics
There are some questions Long Island home buyers might want to ask in particular, having to do with the climate and its effect on property.
"It won't be every house, but it is common during home inspections for termite damage to come up," Fabre said. "It's something you'll find commonly in basements and places of that nature, so you want to make sure that's remedied."
But if there is termite damage, it should not always be a dealbreaker for the buyer, Fabre added, unless it's extreme and structurally significant.
"A professional home exterminator will come in and take care of that," she said.
Another Long Island-specific issue to look out for: "Because we're near water, that moisture builds up, and mold is a big thing," Fabre said. "Sometimes you need to have a mold assessor come in or just have a mold test done, but it doesn't have to be a dealbreaker. It's going to need discretion, addressing it properly and negotiating."
Rachel Weiss joined Newsday in 2016. As a real estate/living multimedia reporter, Rachel writes feature stories and contributes to and appears in on-camera video packages. She was the lead reporter on Newsday’s LI Acts of Kindness series.
