Use These 5 Tips When Negotiating Repairs After A Home Inspection

Finding the right house is only half the battle when you’re buying a home. You also need to make smart decisions when negotiating home repairs. If you’re buying a used house, there’s likely going to be something wrong with the house, because you can’t expect everything to be exactly the way that you want it when you move in. That’s why you should take some time to figure out how you’ll negotiate home repairs when the time comes.

Decide What’s Really Important

When you get the inspection report, you might feel like you want everything on the list taken care of, but this might not actually be feasible, and it’s not the smartest choice if you really want the house. Instead, what you can do is determine what is going to be really expensive or is a safety hazard and what you can wait a few months to fix that also won’t cost very much. If it’s something very minor, such as a piece of broken glass or a cracked tile, it might not be worth it to frustrate the seller about.

Talk to a Contractor

You might think that you know what something will cost and how long it will take to repair, but a contractor is going to have a better idea of the true cost of fixing something. There can be hidden damage that could make the project take longer or cost more, and you need an experienced opinion to know how much something will cost and how long you can expect it to take.

Give It Some Thought

While you likely need to move quickly, you should give your next decision some thought, especially if the seller won’t agree to all of your repair requests. For instance, if the seller won’t budge on something that will be fairly inexpensive and easy to fix in a couple of months, you might kick yourself later if you give up the house. But if the seller won’t budge on something that’s going to cost several thousand dollars, you might choose to walk away from the home sale.

Decide If You Want Money or Repairs

There are reasons that you might want cash, and there are reasons that you might want the seller to do the repair. For instance, if you can do a job inexpensively yourself, or if the repair is going to take several weeks to complete but closing is just a short time away, you might request the cash. On the other hand, if you want something ready for you to move in, such as a repair to the electrical system, then you probably want the seller to do the repair.

Be Reasonable with the Seller

No one likes to be pushed in a corner, and that’s very true for a seller about their house. Approaching your requests with tact will get you much further than being aggressive.

If you’re looking to buy in Twin Cities, there are many reliable real estate companies ready to help you take the next step in your home buying journey.