You put in an offer on a home. The offer was accepted. Everything was going well until the home inspection, and then you discovered that the property needs some serious work.
The good news? You may be able to get the seller to take care of that work, and make any necessary repairs before you move in — but only if you know how to negotiate.
So how, exactly, do you do that? A recent article from realtor.com outlined strategies buyers can use to negotiate repairs after a home inspection, including:
- Pick your battles. If you discover issues during the home inspection process, it’s completely reasonable to ask the seller to take care of some of those repairs before you move in. But asking the seller to make sure the house is perfect before your move-in day might be expecting a bit too much. When negotiating repairs with sellers, pick your battles, and choose them wisely. Focus on serious and/or structural issues — like roof repairs, or upgrading outdated heating and/or cooling systems — and take care of the minor and/or cosmetic issues (like chipping paint) on your own.
- Include as much research and information as possible. When you request a repair, it’s important to be as specific as possible, Saying “the stairs don’t feel stable” isn’t going to yield the same results as, “The home inspector reported that there is structural damage to the stairs leading to the second floor of the home; I’ve consulted with a contractor and gotten an estimate of $1,000 to complete the job.” Including specifics about the repair — including an estimate of how much it will cost to fix — ensures that the sellers have all the information they need to tackle the repair.
- Request a repair credit. Sometimes sellers may be willing to negotiate on repairs, but they might not want to manage the process themselves. In that situation, a repair credit — where the seller reduces the price of the home to cover repair costs — is a win-win. The seller doesn’t have to worry about finding a contractor, or making sure the repairs are completed before they move out, and you can hire the contractor of your choice to ensure the job gets done to your liking using the credit off of the purchase price.