Almost every day, people use the search string, ‘Home Buyer Questionnaire’ to find this blog. That’s because I once wrote about the concept of the questionnaire. I didn’t actually show a questionnaire, I just gave an overview of it and some thought on how it might be used. You can read that post HERE.
I’ve decided to mock up a home buyer questionnaire and make it available here. This is by no means a perfect or complete questionnaire. I would suggest you use it only as a skeleton. Hang your own questions on it, delete some of mine, make it YOURS. I feel confident that the categories of my questions are good, but you may have another one to add. Feel free. At the end of this post you’ll find a link to download a PDF copy of this questionnaire.
Home Buyer Questionnaire
I am excited to be a part of your home search process. I am confident that, working together, we can find your dream house.
It would be helpful if you would take a few minutes to work through these questions before we meet. Your answers will not only help me do a better job for you, it may also help you get clearer on what’s most important to you in your next home.
I. About Your Home Search
- How long have you been looking for a new home?
- Have you seen anything that you liked?
- (if yes) What happened? Why didn’t you buy it?
- How have you been searching? (What tools, websites or methods are you using?)
- Have you worked with an agent?
- (if yes) What is the status of that relationship?
II. Your Situation
- Why are you wanting to make a move?
- When would you like to be in your new home?
- Where are you living now?
- Do you need to sell your present home to make this move?
- Is your present home on the market?
- How much cash are you expecting to use for downpayment and closing costs?
- What monthly payment (total, including taxes and insurance) would you be comfortable making?
- Have you spoken to a lender and been pre-approved for financing?
- If we found your dream home today, is there any reason you could not purchase it?
III. Your Present Home
- Where is your present home located?
- Do you rent or own it?
- Bedrooms
- Bathrooms
- Square Footage
- Lot size
- Features
- What do you like best about your present home?
- What do you dislike about your present home?
IV. Your Next Home
- Where would you like your next home to be located?
- Why there?
- What schools, workplaces, social activities and community amenities would you like to be near?
- What is the longest workplace commute you would consider?
- Bedrooms
- Baths
- Square Footage
- Lot Size
- Features
- Layout/Style
- Name three (or more) things you MUST have in your next home.
- Name three (or more) things you would LIKE to have in your next home.
V. Logistics
- How would you like to stay in touch (phone/text/email)?
- Would you like to have access to the information in the local MLS?
- What times of the day and week are best for you to see homes?
- Many home buyers today want to do much of the home search process on their own. They prefer that I give them access to some great tools for finding homes for sale, and they usually want to drive by a home to see if it’s right from the outside before asking to take a tour.. Others would rather leave the home search job up to me. I am on constant lookout for homes that match their wants and needs and contact them whenever there is something I think they need to see. Still others want to take a combination approach, with both of us actively looking for suitable property and staying in close contact through the process. What about you? How would you envision us working together?