When we get a home inspection report back, it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. It will typically include pages and pages of notes, photos, some items flagged as major issues, some as maintenance items, and some as potential upgrades over time.  It can be a lot to take in.

As you decide if you will ask the seller to make any repairs... and if so, what repairs you will ask them to make... keep in mind that the way we approach repairs with a seller about repairs matters just as much as what we ask for.

Don't ask for everything.

If you come back to a seller with a long list of repairs -- major and minor -- they may very well push back and indicate they don't want to make any of the repairs at all and ask you to buy the house as it is, or to move on.

But if you take a step back, look at that inspection report, and focus only on the big stuff -- any structural issues, safety concerns and the major systems -- we'll hopefully be having a very different conversation with the seller. We'll be saying that you still want to buy the house... but that you want the serious items addressed.  Most sellers are much more receptive to this type of request.

The minor stuff? Loose doorknobs, a sticky window, a dripping faucet -- those are things you can take care of yourself after closing. They shouldn't be deal-breakers, but if you request those types of minor fixes alongside major requests, they may become deal-breakers for the seller.

I typically encourage buyers to sort the inspection findings into two buckets: major issues that will potentially be costly repairs... and home maintenance items that are a normal part of homeownership.  

Let's focus your repair request on that first bucket.  We'll likely get a better response from the seller.