Handling the real estate “Repairs”! OK, so you’re a Buyer who has just had a home inspection done and the inspector comes back with a list of items on the inspection report that he deems deficiencies with the house. What do you do from here? Your agent should be able to advise you on what “repair” items are in fact true repairs and what are simply maintenance items or cosmetic issues…which every pre-owned home will have!
There’s a couple of things to consider when deciding what to ask the Sellers to address/repair for you:
First of all, if you’ve already received a reduction in price from the list price and/or closing costs assistance from the Seller then, in this hot real estate market, tread lightly in what you ask for….that is if you really want to purchase this house! The last thing you want is for a Seller to kick you out of the contract by not agreeing to your list of repairs if the list is long and involved or could be costly to the Seller. The main things that you need to be concerned with are the home’s mechanical systems (heating, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing) and the roof as well as structural components (i.e., is the home structurally sound).
Secondly, if the home inspection uncovers nothing but maintenance items that can be easily done by the Seller, you can either request the Seller to do these or, choose a few that would be out of the scope of your comfort level, and ask for the Seller to do just those items. One issue that I always find helpful is to make sure the Seller receives a copy of your home inspection report detailing every item that the home inspector has found. By doing so, the Seller is more apt to be agreeable to your list of items when they realize you aren’t asking for EVERY single thing contained on the home inspection report!
Requesting the Seller to replace missing screens, for example, is not a true “repair” item…a missing window screen doesn’t affect the home’s structure or have anything to do with any of the mechanical systems. If you were sitting in the Seller’s shoes, think about how you would react to a “repair list” of things that were simply maintenance items and not “true” repairs.
To sum it all up…there are repairs and then there are maintenance items. Be selective in what you ask for to get the highest dollar items covered by the Seller!
Any day is a great day for “Real Talk with the Real Estate Chick”!
I don’t profess to have all the answers and know all there is to know about every single nuance of a real estate transaction but, in my 13+ years of practicing real estate, I do know one thing….whether you’re on the Selling Side or the Buying Side of the transaction, if you treat the other side as you yourself would like to be treated (you know, the “Golden Rule’), we’d have much smoother transactions and everyone’s stress level would be drastically reduced!
Happy Buying and Selling from the Real Estate Chick!
Melanie DeHaven, REALTOR and Certified Negotiation Expert in SC
