Home Buyers and Sellers Often Have Very Different Perspectives When Negotiating Repairs After A Home Inspection


Home Buyers and Sellers Often Have Very Different Perspectives When Negotiating Repairs After A Home Inspection
By Scott Rogers • December 6, 2019
While not always the case, a general rule of thumb is that... On home inspection repairs... SELLERS usually have a short term fix mentality BUYERS usually have a long term fix mentality ...and, successfully negotiating agreed upon repairs after a home inspection can be a smoother process if we reflect on the difference in those perspectives. Inspector: Several roof shingles are missing, and the roof is past its life expectancy. Seller: Replace the shingles. Buyer: Replace the roof. Inspector: The air handler coils are dirty and the heat pump is reeaaallly old. Seller: Clean and service the heat pump and air handler. Buyer: Replace them both! These are a few extreme examples to start to show the differences in perspectives on repairs. Again, the important thing here is to recognize that a buyer and seller look at home inspection reports differently. A seller typically wants to minimize their repair costs while keeping the home sale on track. A buyer wants to make sure that any previously unknown property condition issues are addressed in a manner that is likely to prevent further near term maintenance needs in those areas. Both perspectives (minimizing repair costs, addressing previously unknown property condition issues) are reasonable, most of the time, depending on how it plays out related to specific deficiencies of a home. So, what is a buyer to do? A few thoughts.... Consider asking for a credit in lieu of repairs so that you can be in charge of how the repairs are made. If you are asking for repairs to be completed by the seller, be very specific about how you want them to be completed. Understand that it is not always reasonable to ask a seller to make a repair with a 10 year future in mind. Be willing to compromise with the seller to find a way to move forward on the home that you are, presumably, still excited to buy! Receive Updates by Email Recent Articles: The Conundrum Of What Price To Offer On A Slightly Overpriced New Listing Are Things Slower Now In The Local Real Estate Market? Some, But Not All, New Listings Will Still Have Multiple Offers Within Days! Many Home Buyers Now Find They Can Actually Think For A Minute Before Making An Offer Current Housing Market Trends In Four Lines, Two Curves Slightly Fewer Homes Are Selling At Ever Higher Prices 60 Townhouses And 34 Apartments Proposed For Corner(ish) Of North Main Street And Mount Clinton Pike Upscale Townhouses And A Playground (!!) Under Construction At Congers Creek 10% Of A Big Number Is... A Big Number! Fewer Than 10% Of Buyers Spend Less Than $200K On Single Family Homes In Harrisonburg, Rockingham County
Have any questions? Contact Scott Rogers at 540-578-0102 or scott@funkhousergroup.com
Based on information from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS® or its MLS, for the period Jan 1, 2000 through Nov 28, 2022 (unless otherwise noted).
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