Unless you’re paying cash, the sticker price of a house is not the actual amount you pay. And even if you are paying cash, there are usually ongoing costs you should consider to make sure your home fits in your budget. And one more note: you won’t usually know the final cost upfront because of the many unknowns that go into this process. But you can get a ballpark. Typically, a house’s “total” cost includes:

The property itself. This is the big fat number you’ll see listed on Zillow or Redfin. But be sure to consider the cost of both your down payment and your monthly payments.

An appraisal. One of the first expenses associated with buying a house, an appraisal amounts to an expert evaluation of the property’s value. Expect to pay several hundred dollars on this.

An inspection. The home inspection evaluates the condition of your future home. More thorough than an appraisal, its goal is to identify anything that’s not in good working order (and therefore might cost you a lot of money in the near future).

Mortgage interest. When you borrow money to buy your house (i.e., take on a mortgage), you pay for the privilege in the form of mortgage interest. Over the lifetime of your loan, your interest rate can have a significant difference on the total amount you pay for your home.

Mortgage insurance. Certain types of mortgages require smaller down payments, and that sometimes means you may have to pay mortgage insurance every month.

Homeowners insurance. If you have a mortgage, your lender will likely require you to get a home insurance policy. And even if you don’t, you’ll likely want a policy to protect your possessions and assets.

Taxes. You’ll pay property taxes every year, though often on a monthly basis, rolled in with your mortgage payment. They cover things like local schools, road maintenance, and other essential services in your area. Make sure they’re in line with the taxes on other properties in the neighborhood. The current homeowner is probably your best source of tax information.

HOA fees. Not every house has a homeowners association (HOA), but they’re gaining popularity, and HOA fees can pay for anything from maintaining a communal swimming pool to trash removal for the community.

You know you’re getting the building itself, but beyond that, it’s not always clear what’s included when you buy a house. This question helps clarify what the sellers are taking with them (Window treatments? Appliances? Light fixtures?) and what they’re leaving behind. Once you have the answer, you can get a better handle on what you’ll need to spend to make the home livable, and that may affect what you’re willing to pay for the property.

It’s usually best to get the sellers’ answer to this question in writing, especially if they promise to leave behind high-value items like a built-in sound system.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s not wise to make a low offer if the house has been on the market for 21 days or less. After 90 days, though, it may be safer to make a low offer (which, in this context, may mean something like 90 percent of the asking price).

Your real estate agent can guide you through best practices for houses that have been on the market for more than 21 days and less than 90, where the nuances of what to offer may be trickier to navigate for the uninitiated.

This is a super-important question to ask before buying a house because it can reveal a lot about the property or the neighborhood. Some reasons are obvious: the seller needs more space for a growing family, has to relocate for a new job, or is downsizing for retirement.

A suggestion on getting more specifics to possible issues on the home, “Do you think there are any problems that will arise in the inspection?”

This question gives you a sense of how your house compares to the ones around it. If you want the value of your home to increase, it’s probably better to buy the crummiest place in a nice neighborhood than the nicest place in a questionable neighborhood. So if yours is the most expensive home on the block, you may want to ask some questions about why. To get a sense of what properties around yours are selling for, search Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com for recently sold homes. You can also ask your real estate agent.

Before buying a home, don’t forget to ask about heating, cooling, electric, and internet costs! (And water, sewer, trash, recycling, etc.) You need to know what utilities cost in a typical month before you can decide if a house truly fits in your monthly budget.