When you're hunting for a house to buy but your time is limited, you want to have all the information you can about a house before you visit it. The last thing you want is to make time to visit a house for sale, only to realize upon visiting that it doesn't suit your needs. As you browse the online listings in your area, it's important to gather as much information about each house as possible so that you can then decide whether you wish to visit or continue your search. Occasionally, you'll find a listing that omits a detail or two, and it's a good idea to have your agent call the listing agent to clarify these details. Here are some things that may be omitted but that you'll want to learn about.

Lot Size

You might sometimes run across a listing that doesn't include the lot size. This may be a simple omission, or this detail may be unclear to the owner and the listing agent is looking it up. Regardless of the reason it's not included in the listing, you want to make sure that you know the lot size before you move forward with scheduling a viewing. Although you may get an idea of the approximate lot size from the online images, inquiring about the measurements is important.

Year Built

A real estate listing should also include the year the house was built. You'll want to know this detail before you decide whether the house is enticing enough to book a showing. The age of a house is a key thing to factor when you're shopping. For example, an older house may have a crawl space instead of a full basement, and this might not work for a buyer who has children and needs a large room for them to play.

Taxes And Utilities

You'll find that some real estate listings include the amount of annual property tax and the average monthly cost of utilities such as electricity and water, while others do not. Getting this information in advance of getting too excited about the house is valuable, as you'll need to consider not just the purchase price, but also how much you'll need to spend to run the house. The listing agent can ask his or her client to provide this information for you, so make sure to ask your agent to place a phone call with this inquiry.