Why you should ask for the seller’s phone number

I like my house, but I think I like the guy who sold it to us better. After my wife and I closed on our house 13 years ago, we walked into the kitchen and found a wonderful surprise left by the previous owner: manuals to the appliances, previous utility bills, cans of paint, and a hand-drawn map of the sprinkler system’s zones. This information has been indispensable as paint peeled, sprinklers leaked, and other systems needed maintenance. But one thing he left-something I never would’ve asked for-has proven more valuable: his phone number. That’s right, the guy voluntarily left his cell number and said to call with any questions. And I have. Most recently, I needed blueprints. Before we started building an addition, our architect mentioned how it would be easier to draw his initial plans if only he had the house’s blueprints. So, more than 10 years after we last saw each other, I called Tim, who not only sold us the house but had it custom built for his family. A few days later, the blueprints arrived in the mail. Not everyone’s going to find a seller as willing to help as we did, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask. So after you shake hands at the closing, ask the sellers to share their knowledge about the house-and maybe their cell number.