Questions Every Buyer Should Ask During a Showing in Ankeny, Iowa
When you're touring homes in Ankeny, it's easy to get distracted by the things you can immediately see.
You love the kitchen. The backyard is perfect. There's finally enough garage space. You can already picture where the couch will go.
But a showing isn't just about deciding whether you like a house. It's also your opportunity to gather information that can help you decide whether it's the right home—and whether you want to take the next step.
If you're buying a home in Ankeny, Iowa, here are some of the questions worth asking during or after a showing.
1. How Long Has the Home Been on the Market?
Days on market can provide useful context, although it doesn't tell the whole story.
If a home was just listed and you're interested, there may be more urgency—especially if other buyers are scheduling showings.
If it's been available for a while, you'll want to know why.
Has the price changed? Did a previous offer fall through? Has there been consistent buyer interest?
Your Realtor can look beyond the number of days on market and help you understand the home's listing history.
2. Have There Been Any Price Reductions?
A price reduction doesn't automatically mean there's something wrong with a home.
Sometimes a property simply started too high. Other times, market conditions or seller circumstances have changed.
Knowing the home's pricing history can help you better understand how the property is positioned compared with similar homes for sale in Ankeny.
3. Have the Sellers Received Any Offers?
You may not be able to find out the terms of another buyer's offer, but knowing whether there's existing interest can be valuable.
If the seller has multiple offers or expects one soon, that could influence your offer strategy.
If there hasn't been much activity, you and your agent may approach the situation differently.
4. Why Are the Sellers Moving?
The sellers don't necessarily have to disclose every detail about their situation, and sometimes the listing agent won't provide much information.
But it's still worth asking.
A seller relocating for work may have a different timeline than someone who is simply testing the market or waiting for their next home to be completed.
Understanding the seller's priorities can sometimes help your Realtor structure a more attractive offer.
5. How Old Are the Roof, HVAC and Water Heater?
Don't focus exclusively on cosmetic updates.
A beautiful kitchen is great, but the age and condition of the home's major components can have a much bigger impact on your future expenses.
Ask about the age of the:
Roof
Furnace
Air conditioner
Water heater
Windows
Major appliances
An older system isn't automatically a reason to walk away. It simply gives you more information about expenses you may need to plan for after purchasing the home.
6. Are There Any Known Issues With the Home?
In Iowa, sellers of many residential properties are required to provide a seller property disclosure statement, subject to applicable requirements and exceptions.
Review it carefully.
Look for information about previous water intrusion, structural issues, roof leaks, mechanical problems, repairs and other known conditions.
And remember: a seller disclosure isn't a replacement for a professional home inspection.
7. Has the Basement Ever Had Water?
This is an especially important question when you're buying a home with a basement.
Ask whether there has been previous water intrusion and, if so, what was done to address it.
During the showing, look around the basement rather than simply focusing on whether it's finished.
Pay attention to things like staining, musty odors, visible cracks and the general condition of the foundation.
If you move forward with the property, a professional home inspection can provide a much closer evaluation.
8. What Is Included With the Home?
Don't assume everything you see during a showing stays with the property.
Ask about items such as:
Kitchen appliances
Washer and dryer
Mounted televisions
Window treatments
Garage shelving
Outdoor playsets
Security equipment
Water softeners
Basement refrigerators or freezers
Your Realtor can make sure the appropriate items are addressed in your offer.
9. Is There an HOA?
Ankeny has neighborhoods both with and without homeowners associations.
If the property is part of an HOA, you'll want to know more than just the annual or monthly fee.
Ask what the association covers and review the applicable covenants, restrictions and other documents available to you.
Depending on the neighborhood, there may be rules affecting things such as fences, sheds, exterior modifications, parking or other property uses.
Don't wait until after closing to discover a restriction that matters to you.
10. What Will the Property Taxes Look Like?
Property taxes should be part of your monthly payment calculations when determining what you can comfortably afford.
Your agent can help you find the property's current tax information, but keep in mind that future property taxes aren't necessarily guaranteed to remain the same.
If you're considering new construction in Ankeny, pay particularly close attention. Current tax information may not always reflect a fully completed home at its eventual assessed value.
Talk with your lender and Realtor about the numbers you're using when estimating your future housing expenses.
11. Are There Any Special Assessments?
Ask whether there are known special assessments associated with the property.
These can potentially affect your costs as a homeowner and are worth understanding before you make an offer.
Your Realtor can help you investigate the available information and determine whether there is anything that needs to be addressed as part of the transaction.
12. What Is Being Built Nearby?
Don't just evaluate the house. Evaluate what's around it.
Ankeny continues to grow, and vacant land near a property may not stay vacant forever.
If there's undeveloped land nearby, ask what you can learn about it.
You may want to investigate planned roads, residential developments, commercial projects or other proposed changes in the surrounding area.
Future development can be a positive, negative or neutral depending on what you're looking for—but it's better to know about it before you buy.
13. What Is the Traffic Like at Different Times of Day?
A quiet street during a 2:00 PM Saturday showing may feel completely different at 7:30 AM on a weekday.
If you're seriously considering a home, drive through the neighborhood at different times.
Pay attention to:
Morning and evening traffic
Nearby intersections
School-related traffic
Noise
Street parking
Your potential commute
You aren't just buying the house. You're buying the day-to-day experience of living there.
14. How Does This Home Compare to Others in the Neighborhood?
This is where having a Realtor who knows the Ankeny market becomes especially valuable.
Ask how the home's price, condition, size, lot and updates compare with recent sales and current listings nearby.
A house can look like a great deal until you discover that similar homes have recently sold for considerably less.
On the other hand, a home that initially seems expensive may have features that help justify its price.
You want context before making that decision.
15. Is There Anything That Could Affect Resale?
You may be thinking about moving into the home—not selling it—but resale should still be part of the conversation.
Ask your agent whether there are characteristics that could make the property easier or more difficult to sell in the future.
Things like an unusual floor plan, location on a busy road, limited garage space or other property-specific features may affect the pool of future buyers.
That doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't buy the house.
It simply means you should understand what you're buying.
What Should You Look for During a Home Showing?
In addition to asking questions, spend some time actually looking at the house.
Open closets. Look inside cabinets. Walk through the basement. Check out the garage. Step into the backyard.
Pay attention to:
Ceiling and wall stains
Cracks
Flooring condition
Window condition
Water pressure
Storage space
Exterior condition
Drainage around the property
General maintenance
Unusual odors or noises
You're not performing your own home inspection. You're simply gathering enough information to decide whether you want to investigate the property further.
Don't Expect to Get Every Answer During the Showing
One important thing for buyers to understand is that your Realtor may not immediately know the answer to every question—and that's okay.
Sometimes we need to contact the listing agent. Sometimes we need to review disclosures. Sometimes we need to research public information. And sometimes a question is better answered by an inspector, lender, attorney or another qualified professional.
It's better to research an answer than make an assumption.
Found a Home You Love in Ankeny? Here's What Happens Next
If you walk out of a showing thinking, “This could be the one,” the next step is to gather as much information as possible before deciding whether to make an offer.
Your Realtor can help you review comparable sales, listing history, disclosures and other available property information while discussing an offer strategy that fits your goals.
Buying a home is a big decision. You shouldn't feel like you have to make it based solely on how you felt during a 30-minute showing.
Buying a Home in Ankeny, Iowa?
Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, relocating to Ankeny or simply looking for your next home, having a local real estate team on your side can make the process easier.
The Hokel Real Estate Team helps buyers throughout Ankeny and the Des Moines metro navigate everything from the initial home search and showings to inspections, negotiations and closing.
When you're ready to start looking at homes in Ankeny, we're ready to help.
Contact the Hokel Real Estate Team to start your Ankeny home search.