UK Property Check · ukpropertycheck.co.uk/questions-to-ask-estate-agent
Questions to ask the estate agent before you offer
Ask why the home is for sale, whether there is a chain, what work has been done and what is included. For a leasehold home, ask about the lease, the ground rent and the service charge.
Several of these questions come from GOV.UK, How to buy a home. Pick the ones that apply to build your own list.
These tell you how much room there is to negotiate and how likely the sale is to complete.
How long has the home been on the market, and has the asking price changed?
A long time on the market or a price cut can mean more room to negotiate, or a problem other buyers found. GOV.UK suggests asking why if a home has been for sale for more than three months. Source: GOV.UK, How to buy a home.
Dig deeper if: It was under offer before and the sale fell through.
Why are the owners selling, and how long have they lived there?
It can tell you how quickly they need to move. Owners who are leaving after a short time may know something about the home or the area.
Dig deeper if: They bought recently and are selling within a year or two.
Is there a chain, and have the sellers found their next home?
Every sale in a chain has to complete for yours to. The government says around one in three transactions fall through. Source: GOV.UK, home buying and selling reform.
Dig deeper if: The sellers have not started looking for their next home.
Is the home let, and will it be sold with vacant possession?
A sale does not end a tenancy. If a tenant is still living there when the sale completes, you become their landlord, a standard residential mortgage normally needs the home empty, and a tenant generally lowers the value.
Dig deeper if: A tenant will still be there on completion day, or nobody can say when they will leave.
Has a sale on this home fallen through, and do you know why?
If an earlier buyer pulled out after a survey, the reason may matter to you too.
Dig deeper if: A buyer withdrew after their survey, and the agent will not say why.
When would the sellers like to complete?
Matching their timing can make your offer more attractive than a higher one that does not fit.
The home and work done to it
Ask now, then compare the answers with what the seller tells your conveyancer later.
What work has been done in recent years, and is there paperwork for it?
Extensions, loft conversions, new windows, rewiring and boiler work should come with planning permission, building regulations sign-off or certificates. Your conveyancer will need them later.
Dig deeper if: Work was done but there is no paperwork.
Which appliances, fittings and furniture are included in the sale?
The seller lists what is included on a fittings and contents form. Agree it before you offer so it is part of the price.
Are there shared drives, rights of way or access arrangements with neighbours?
Rights and easements affect how you can use the property, and they appear in the government's list of information that may be material to buyers. Source: GOV.UK, material information in property listings.
Have there been any disputes with neighbours about boundaries, noise or anything else?
Your conveyancer will ask the seller this too, so you can compare the answers.
Dig deeper if: There is an ongoing disagreement.
Has there ever been Japanese knotweed on or near the property?
Dig deeper if: It has been treated but there is no management plan.
Is it freehold or leasehold?
Tenure changes your costs and your rights. Listings do not always get it right, so ask your conveyancer to confirm it from the title.
Running costs
The asking price is only part of what the home will cost you.
What were the gas and electricity bills over the last 12 months?
The energy certificate estimates running costs at the fuel prices used when it was assessed. Real bills show what the owners pay now. Source: MHCLG, energy certificate data guidance.
You can check the band yourself on GOV.UK, and it should match what you are told. Source: GOV.UK, council tax bands.
How old is the boiler, and when was it last serviced?
A replacement is a large bill. A service history shows it has been looked after.
What do the owners pay for buildings insurance?
A high premium can reflect past claims or flood risk.
Is the water supply metered, and is the home on mains drainage?
A septic tank or treatment plant needs emptying and maintenance that mains drainage does not.
Flats and leasehold homes
Leasehold brings costs and rules that the price does not show.
How many years are left on the lease?
GOV.UK says that when there are 80 years or less left, extending the lease costs significantly more. Lenders also set minimum lease lengths. Source: GOV.UK, extending a lease.
Dig deeper if: 80 years or fewer, or nobody is sure.
How much is the ground rent, and can it increase?
Some leases double the ground rent at set intervals. A cap of £250 a year has been proposed in a draft bill but is not law. Source: GOV.UK news, capping ground rents.
Dig deeper if: The ground rent doubles every 10 or 25 years.
How much is the service charge, what does it cover, and how has it changed?
Ask for the last three years of service charge accounts so you can see the trend.
Are any major works planned, and is there a reserve fund?
Leaseholders usually share the cost of roof, window and cladding work. A healthy reserve fund spreads the cost.
Dig deeper if: Large works are planned and there is little or nothing in the reserve.
Does the lease restrict pets, letting, short lets or alterations?
Restrictions in the lease bind you once you own the flat.
What fire safety information is there for the building, and has a lender asked for an EWS1 form?
Once your offer is accepted, your conveyancer sends the seller formal questions and orders searches. That takes weeks, and by then you may have paid for a survey and a mortgage valuation. Asking the agent first lets you find deal-breakers before you spend money.
Write down what you are told and who told you. If the seller's formal answers later say something different, you will know what to raise.
What agents have to tell you
Under consumer law, an estate agent must not mislead you or leave out information you need to decide whether to buy. Since 6 April 2025 that duty sits in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. It does not mean the agent knows everything about the home, so ask them to check with the seller when they are unsure.
Our house viewing checklist covers what to look at in each room, with the key questions built in, and saves your answers on your phone.
Questions about estate agents
Do estate agents have to tell you about problems with a property?
Agents must not mislead buyers, and since 6 April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has made it unlawful for them to leave out information a buyer needs to make a decision. Ask direct questions anyway, and get the important answers in writing.
Can an estate agent refuse to pass on my offer?
No. An agent must pass every offer to the seller promptly and in writing, unless the seller has said in writing that they do not want to hear about offers of that kind.
What if the agent does not know the answer?
Ask them to find out from the seller and come back to you. Your conveyancer will also ask the seller formal questions on a property information form after your offer is accepted, so keep a note of what the agent told you and compare.