The Ultimate Super Bowl Party Checklist
Summer Pierre: How Much Are the Fines for a Book 31 Years…
You pace the floors, open and close the freezer and closet doors, and bombard your agent or broker with every question under the sun, er, roof. But inevitably, you will forget to ask about something, and will receive an unwelcome surprise. (Not The Money Pit-level, hopefully, but unfortunate nonetheless.)
Christine Toes from The Corcoran Group and Suzanne Simon of Long & Foster Realtors offer these "must-asks" for prospective buyers and renters: "Are there any major capital improvements coming up (hallway, lobby, elevator renovations, repainting of the building's exterior brick, new windows) that might lead to an assessment or maintenance increase? What is the sublet policy? Are pets, pieds-à-terre and co-purchases allowed? What is the owner-occupancy rate?"
Click through our guide for 10 more questions to ask now to avoid headaches later.
Common Move-In Day Surprises
When your bedroom window faces the street, it is always important to find out when garbage pick-up is, as well as if there are any commercial buildings that have deliveries by trucks at odd hours. In major cities one should also investigate the fire departments and hospitals with emergency rooms nearby. Otherwise your best bet may be Citi Quiet soundproof windows, which can run around $1000 per window.
An easy question to miss, particularly if you are in search mode in the summer months. You don't want seasonal surprises after it's far too late, so make sure to ask your agent about the degree of "winter-proofing" that exists in the home--particularly around windows and on the floors. For apartment renters, many cities requite that tenants cover as much as 80% of the floors with carpeting to begin with – ostensibly for noise purposes. However, says Christine Toes, Associate Broker and Vice President at The Corcoran Group in New York, "unless someone complains, no one is there to 'police' your carpeting."
Such an unwelcome surprise, especially when you are taking that first shower after unpacking boxes, only to find a mere trickle of water. Great, you think, I'll never be clean again! Lesson: always flip a few faucets, including the bath and shower, to make sure you've got some power in those pipes. And apartment renters take note: sometimes a building's super can and will adjust the water pressure or temperature of the hot water heaters. Just ask.
This is a difficult thing to test. You are going to get some serious sideways glances from your agent if you start hooking up various devices simply to test fuse capacity. However, it can't hurt to ask about any preexisting electrical issues. To cover all your bases, says Toes, "investigate the costs of upgrading the electrical," even if it's just a hypothetical.
First of all, always have a backup plan, Some moving companies will store your furniture overnight or for a few nights in the moving van at an additional cost. Avoid this situation by asking for specific guarantees about readiness, and "make sure your lease stipulates how the apartment [or condo, or house] is supposed to be delivered," says Toes. If the owner was supposed to paint and clean and those things haven't been done by the time you arrive, Toes suggests, "ask the owner if you can do these things yourself or hire someone to do them and take the costs off of your next month's rent."
Similarly, sometimes it's not just your space that isn't finished on time. Landlords and contractors can lag on finishing up the property's amenities.
"Good sales contract forms and contingencies for home inspections eliminate most surprises," says Suzanne Simon, Vice President of Long & Foster Realtors. Still you may find that your promised condo amenities are delayed considerably. "In this case, you have to go to the Offering Plan for the condo and speak with your real estate attorney," says Toes. "It is possible that you might be able to get a rebate of part of your common charges if the developer wasn't in accordance with the Offering Plan." Ask and ye shall receive some money back.
For pet-owners, finding out way too late in the game that your dog/cat/iguana is not welcome is a gut-wrenching, unacceptable surprise. Most will simply figure out a way to smuggle their beloved into the new home with no one the wiser. "One of my customers snuck her cat into her rental building," recalls Toes, the broker. "She made sure there were no icky cat litter smells coming from her apartment and never let her cat roam the hallways, which is usually why people don't want pets in their building. She nicknamed her cat 'Anne Frank!'" Cute story, but also a cautionary tale. This is the number one dealbreaker for many. Be sure to ask early on in your hunt.
It's critical to ask beforehand about even the most minor of renovations. Especially because, as Toes notes, "there are often good reasons that a building doesn't allow certain renovations. Most buildings don't allow 'wet over dry,' meaning that you can't expand something requiring plumbing (wet) over someone else's living space (dry). Who wants to hear the toilet of their upstairs neighbor flushing over their bedroom?" Meanwhile, many buildings don't allow washer-dryers because pipes can't handle the extra usage.
As with the electrical fuses, this one can be tough to field-test when you're still just kicking the tires of a perspective new home. You should still ask and test when possible. However, if you encounter faulty appliances, there is typically quick recourse. "In a rental building, you can ask your landlord to repair or replace appliances," says Toes. "If you own the apartment, you're probably on your own to fix or replace these items yourself." If it's a condo, and the problem is coming from inside the walls instead of from the appliance itself, your co-op or condo building may be responsible for the repairs. In a new condo building, the appliances are usually under warranty. "Check the appliance paperwork or the condo Offering Plan," Toes suggests.
Specific enough for you? This is an actual cautionary tale from a renter whose renovated apartment was suddenly without phone jacks. As fewer people hold on to their landlines, fewer builders are taking into account the necessity of phone jacks, believe it or not. Most would never think to ask about land lines, but this just proves that no stone should go unturned, no box unchecked.
