Have you ever sold a house? Did you have any additional home inspection tips for sellers? Comment them below, I love when we share tips as a community!
You're welcome, I think it is important that sellers are well informed of the process so that they are protected and accept the best offer for the estate. Thank you for watching, and commenting!
Negotiation is a necessary skill in buying (or selling) a home. Of course, a lot of it depends on the market, how long the home's been on the market, how desperate the sellers are, how many competing offers there are, etc. But these tips you've shared are fantastic!
Thank you for your video. I like your calm, reasonable approach to negotiations. We are Sellers in negotiations right now and its getting a big frustrating. Apologies for the length of this post but we are in a situation where our buyer is determined to find something wrong with the house. The home inspection has already been completed. Our buyer is worried that there may be mold in the garage b/c of some old drywall stains. There is no visible mold or wetness to these areas.. The home inspection revealed nothing suspect from the stained drywall, stating that the drywall staining was "dry" on the report. We disclosed early on that we have had no plumbing issues or leaks or roof leaks. But the buyer has asked 3 different times and in 3 different ways if we ever had or have,plumbing leaks. The buyer then said they wanted to hire a mold inspector to check the garage because they are concerned about the staining. We agreed to allow this inspection. The company they hired to do a 'mold inspection' is a construction company....who just happens to do remediation too (ahem). A couple of days ago, our agent called to tell us that the 'inspector' identified mold from a "swab" that was taken in our garage. The lab analysis identified Aspergillis/Penicillium- on the report; it lists "one spore". The 'inspection' company's recommendations is for remediation. The buyers are now asking for us to pay not only for remediation, but also for an "accredited mold inspection" to be done; both of these would cost us thousands of dollars. All of this is highly suspicious since I know all the testing it takes to identify a true mold problem requiring remediation. We submitted a few questions to our agent to give to the buyer's agent, asking for more details such as, 'where was the sample taken from?', 'was anything other than a single swab done to identify a mold problem', 'was the person who came to our house a certified/accredited mold inspector'. Our agent has remained quite neutral in all of this but suggested to us that WE call the' inspection' company to get our answers. My response was that it was not my responsibility to call the 'inspection' company for answers, that I have answered every one of the buyer's (many) questions and it would be reasonable to expect answers to our questions too. Our agent said she would send our questions off to the buyer's agent. We have received no response. Crickets. If there is a 'mold' problem in our garage, we want to know so we can take care of it. But we won't plunk down thousands of dollars based on a vague mold report which neither identifies a mold PROBLEM or justifies the need for expensive remediation. We are in no rush to sell our home. If the buyers walked away from the sale, it won't ruin us. Especially in a seller's market. Thank you in advance for your thoughts on this.
Hi Cat Bee, you’ve presented good questions to the buyers and their agent. Your agent should follow up with the buyer’s agent to obtain answers to your very reasonable questions. My question is have you received and reviewed a written report? And, did that report include the cost of remediation? I ask because the cost to remediate might not be excessive (you mentioned could cost thousands of dollars) and it might be best to simply pay to have the issue remediated by the company that produced the analysis. The report should have photos and the area where the sample was taken from. Yes, we are currently in a seller’s market, but, any reports that you or your agent have received should be submitted to any and all buyers. With that said, you could end up in the same situation as you are currently experiencing. Your next best step is to ask your agent for his/her recommendation and whether it would be in your best interest (and if you are legally able) to work towards cancelling your current contract or get the buyers to honor the contract and go forward with the purchase (with or without any mold remediation, etc). I hope this helps.
Thank you for your reply and thoughts on this. I appreciate you taking the time to do so. Initially, we received a written estimate from the buyer's 'mold inspector'. I found it to be a conflict of interest for an inspector to inspect AND offer remediation with a hefty price. We did not receive photos of the area in question or the location of the one sample they had taken around the time I originally posted my question to you.. Since this time, the buyers have answered my questions (although still not to my liking as they kept it very general). Only then were photos sent to us. Only one sample was taken. We now see the area they are concerned about. It does have a mold-like speckled appearance. My husband and I decided to have an accredited mold inspector of our choice, come to evaluate this and the surrounding area. The inspector said the speckled area looked like mold staining but no telling how long it had been there. Multiple moisture readings in this area, as well as all over that side of the garage, were taken. Everything was bone dry. He said that since the speckled area looks like mold and the buyer's inspector's specimen that was send to an accredited lab said it was mold spores, then it must be remediated. He also said that the mold could be contained in just that portion of drywall and may have been caused by condensation from pipes in the area or pipe leak at some point. I found it odd that the buyer's inspector would have detailed estimate of all the remediation work to be done. There should be varying degrees of remediation, in the sense of a 10x10" piece of drywall, as opposed to the entire wall and ceiling. Our inspector asked what was above the drywall in question; was it a bathroom? I told him that what's directly above is our daughter's bedroom and there is hard wood on the floor. As a responsible homeowner, I want to be attentive to the buyer's concerns, especially a suspicion of mold. But we also don't want to plunk out thousands of dollars for remediation, if that mold is no further than the piece of drywall its sitting on either. In our response to the buyer's request for repairs, we will be asking that we choose the company to remediate. It will be done to the proper specifications for accredited mold remediation with a clearance test at the end. If the buyer insists that we only have their remediator do the work, then our answer will be "no". We'll then let the pieces fall where they may.
Hi Cat Bee, it sounds like you have the situation under control. The good news is that if your transaction falls/fell through you'll have your own report to use in the next transaction, so you can plan ahead for how you would like to handle the situation. Good luck to you, I wish you well on the sale of you property.
@@tidycats151 Thank you. This is what we ended up doing. But I can kick myself for not staying another year in this house. The selling priced increased $75G within that following year. (ok, me, turn the page:( The major lesson for me is this: if its a seller's market, then no negotiations. We were trying to do the right thing. We bought another home with a seller who didn't disclose ANYTHING. Said everything was great. Inspections and specialty roof inspections found no issues. But we soon discovered major roof issues and water intrusion from the decking upstairs into the downstairs living room. Makes me question the value in being honest anymore.
Thanks Kim! The inspection reports can feel overwhelming to buyers, but not everything is critical or needs to be done right away. Best to be reasonable and make it work for each side to feel it is a win - win.
So I've heard the thing about the 15-year-old water heater being described in the inspection report as end-of-life, and I understand why it would be unreasonable to ask for replacement. But what about a 25-year-old, severely corroded water heater with in an area where water heaters typically last about 15 years? No leaks, still works. I can see the seller's POV that the buyer is not purchasing a new home makes replacement with a brand new WH seem too much; what's a reasonable ask? A credit towards half the replacement cost? Something more? Or less?
In situations like that it is best to consult with your real estate agent. My take is usually a partial credit for the cost of the water heater, often times about half the price. However, it really depends on what else the buyers are asking for (i.e. is that the only items? are they asking for a lot of other repairs or closing costs?). Your agent should reach out to the buyers agent and give you clear advise about what they're looking to get out of the request. thank you for watching and commenting!
@@ProbateandTrustHelp - Thanks for your reasoned reply; this was very much what I was thinking. After having listened to your advice in the video, we only asked for two repairs (in the form of credits): for the water heater, and for a fire safety issue with the electrical panel. My thinking is that we would be willing to meet the seller half way on both items. Thanks again for a very helpful discussion!
Loved this topic as it is important to know how to negotiate after inspection successfully. A lot of contracts fall through and they shouldn't. I liked that you are also bringing up the responsibility of the Seller when dealing with the different types of financing as many do not comprehend this. Excellent job as always!
Thanks for this enlightening video. Our house is in trusteeship. When we sell the house, in whose name would the payment chq be done: the Trustee or the Land Trust name or the beneficiaries names as stated in the land trust?!
I’m not absolutely certain, and I don’t have a lot of knowledge about trustee ships. This would be a better question for an estate attorney. Sorry, I really couldn’t help… And thanks for watching.
Excellent information. I am first time seller and our home inspection was just done yesterday. Your information lets me know what to expect and what is reasonable. I feel you’ve placed me in a better position with this knowledge. Grateful. 🙏👍🏻
Thanks this really helped. Our inspector did find a bunch of things wrong with a 16 year old home were about to buy. Most are genera maintenance stuff but he did point out 2 that were concerning. The main power conduit that connects the city power to the homes main power panel is broken and the main power lines are exposed. This is concerning as it is a safety Hazzard. Definitely will see if the seller can fix this. The second big issue is that the RV gate on the side has been detached from the bottom bracket and it is not only inoperable it also poses a big safety Hazzard as it may topple over causing bodily harm. By the way what is your opinion on a backyard patio that shows signs of water damage due to a old damaged roof? Would this be worth asking the buyer to replace the roofing material? And is it common for sellers to pay for the buyers 1st year home warranty coverage in 2022? At first we were going to see if the seller can do something about the old working 16 year old 4 ton units (2) but after watching this we see it isn't a good idea to ask. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? Maybe they can assist us with the home warranty instead.
Hi Eddie, I'm glad your inspector uncovered various maintenance issues that could be of concern for you after the close of escrow. You should always refer questions like these to your real estate professional. Because I am not involved in your sale I cannot speak on your specific circumstances. This is especially true when it comes to an changes in the contract terms, such as request for repairs and asking for home warranty coverage. I will say that my personal preference for request for repairs... I always try to ask for a set dollar amount rather then the seller to make the repairs. This helps: to prevent a slew of phone calls and back and forth if a repair isn't done to the buyers liking; give the buyers choice of their own technicians; keeps the timeline moving along as planned so that the sale goes through more quickly, i.e. there isn't a delay caused by the repairs taking longer then anticipated. Good luck with your purchase, I hope it all goes smoothly.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp We did end up asking the seller to address some concerns. He simply said that at the moment he doesn't have time to fix the problems. Instead he gave us a $4000 credit in lieu of repairs. This will be used to cover closing costs. Totally wasn't expecting this to happen. I believe 4k USD is more than enough to repair most things the inspector found. Even the patio roof. Only other big expense that i will have to pay out of pocket for is the 2 ac units. They are 16 years old and may go out soon. Other than that all other appliances are relatively new and even the water heater is new.
I heartily agree that it's better to address most repair situations with a request for a price reduction or dollar credit rather than an actual repair by the seller. Time is tight, and a seller is under enormous pressure to do the repair for the absolute minimum cost at the expense of quality or durability, and we all know that a buyer could potentially be very particular in their expectations for a repair. If you are a buyer, agree on a dollar amount and have the repair done yourself so that you have control over how and to what level of perfection the repair is done. I am always stunned when I hear of a buyer asking to have an HVAC unit replaced by the seller -- I myself would not be interested in living with the cheapest available HVAC unit installed in a great rush for 15 years or more.
My tips are: The owners need to be there when the inspector is there. There are many things that the inspector has no idea about the whys and the hows of the house. The inspector will make uninformed decisions and opinions. The inspector said the hot water was only 96 degrees and it should be over 110 degrees. But he didn't know that after I moved out I turned the breaker to the hot water heater off so ambient air would heat it and it would save electricity. No one is taking showers. But he didn't know that because he didn't consult with the owner. Also water temperature is an opinion. 96 is good for washing dishes, but 110 is too hot to wash dishes, unless you use a dishwasher.
I would disagree, it is not a good idea for the seller or a tenant to be at the home during an inspection . In my experience it is better to have your real estate professional there to represent you and answer any question that the buyers and their agent may have.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp Why does the real estate buy/sell process have to be an adversarial process like opposing parties in a court case? Both should work together for the result. That's why I hate realtors. They act like lawyers.
I think home inspections are overrated. They don't tell you want you can't find out for yourself and you should be finding those things out for yourself and not be paying someone to do it. How hard is it to turn on and off the faucets and light switches? You are going to have to fix things anyway.
I don't think it's unreasonable to request changing galvanized pipes used for consumption to non-galvanized pipes? Lead...health risk. Quite reasonable actually if it wasn't disclosed to start with.
Hi J C, thank you for commenting. I believe in this circumstance the water pipes were polybutylene and there was no way to disclose it because it was behind the wall, and not visible. Have a great day!
So i had 58 items from the inspector...... I asked for 23 I did not even ask of the extremely nasty 2 rooms carpet... as well the upper porched was a pet pen I did not even ask for that to be cleaned .. I did ask what ever caused the leak into the kitchen bedroom and living room to be fixed and the damage it caused (the inspector says it appears to be the top porch) ... as well there were so many snakes under ht crawl space inspector could only do a partial inspection and noted a rather large snake with many snakes skins. So I asked for help with snake extermination and termites exterminated on the tree stub under the crawl space. Of course, there were no rodents...lol....also he noted utility room had evidence of flooding ...so I asked to have that carpet pulled up and the flooring repaired if the flooring is damaged there. there were a total of 59 items i asked for 23 items including have and conditioner to be replaced.
Wow! That is quite a lot of big ticket items! I How did the seller respond? Did they credit you? Have some of the issues repaired? or agree to nothing?
There's a point at which a buyer should just cut and run, unless all these problems was built in to an especially attractive selling price. Rather hard to imagine the seller could be unaware of most of these conditions.
None of those are important and you can always do them yourself. Infact if the buyers don't fix things themselves, can you call the house yours? You just have a deed to someone else's property.
It is foolish for people to put offers on houses that they, themselves have not done the detailed inspections on. Why put an offer and then hire someone else to do the inspection. Waste of time and money.
We always recommend that a buyer get as many inspections as they want ie. general inspection, roof, electrical, plumbing, main sewer line to name a few. Keep in mind that we primarily represent sellers and don't provide advice to buyers or their agents, but, we do provide a 12 page document that details any and all inspections that they can obtain and pay for. Hope this helps!
That's not how this works. The sellers don't want to deal with you and your inspectors before you make an offer. You tour the house, see what you can, and make an offer based on what you know at that point (with inspection contingencies). If the seller likes that offer, THEN you can start scheduling inspections. Absolutely nobody wants to work around your schedule and deal with your inspections before knowing if you're even gonna play the game. Imagine having 10 people interested in your house and having to deal with 10 viewings, plus 10-30 different inspections just to get someone started down the road of contract... ridiculous
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Have you ever sold a house? Did you have any additional home inspection tips for sellers? Comment them below, I love when we share tips as a community!
Thank you for looking out for the seller.
You're welcome, I think it is important that sellers are well informed of the process so that they are protected and accept the best offer for the estate. Thank you for watching, and commenting!
If the items are normal wear and tear I don't push for a credit but if its a/c roof, plumbing we will ask if they need repair
Like your use of “reasonable”. It is so valuable to have an agent who understands this and knows how to advise their buyers. 👍
Negotiation is a necessary skill in buying (or selling) a home. Of course, a lot of it depends on the market, how long the home's been on the market, how desperate the sellers are, how many competing offers there are, etc. But these tips you've shared are fantastic!
Thank you for your video. I like your calm, reasonable approach to negotiations.
We are Sellers in negotiations right now and its getting a big frustrating. Apologies for the length of this post but we are in a situation where our buyer is determined to find something wrong with the house. The home inspection has already been completed.
Our buyer is worried that there may be mold in the garage b/c of some old drywall stains. There is no visible mold or wetness to these areas.. The home inspection revealed nothing suspect from the stained drywall, stating that the drywall staining was "dry" on the report. We disclosed early on that we have had no plumbing issues or leaks or roof leaks. But the buyer has asked 3 different times and in 3 different ways if we ever had or have,plumbing leaks.
The buyer then said they wanted to hire a mold inspector to check the garage because they are concerned about the staining. We agreed to allow this inspection.
The company they hired to do a 'mold inspection' is a construction company....who just happens to do remediation too (ahem).
A couple of days ago, our agent called to tell us that the 'inspector' identified mold from a "swab" that was taken in our garage. The lab analysis identified Aspergillis/Penicillium- on the report; it lists "one spore". The 'inspection' company's recommendations is for remediation.
The buyers are now asking for us to pay not only for remediation, but also for an "accredited mold inspection" to be done; both of these would cost us thousands of dollars. All of this is highly suspicious since I know all the testing it takes to identify a true mold problem requiring remediation.
We submitted a few questions to our agent to give to the buyer's agent, asking for more details such as, 'where was the sample taken from?', 'was anything other than a single swab done to identify a mold problem', 'was the person who came to our house a certified/accredited mold inspector'. Our agent has remained quite neutral in all of this but suggested to us that WE call the' inspection' company to get our answers. My response was that it was not my responsibility to call the 'inspection' company for answers, that I have answered every one of the buyer's (many) questions and it would be reasonable to expect answers to our questions too. Our agent said she would send our questions off to the buyer's agent. We have received no response. Crickets.
If there is a 'mold' problem in our garage, we want to know so we can take care of it. But we won't plunk down thousands of dollars based on a vague mold report which neither identifies a mold PROBLEM or justifies the need for expensive remediation.
We are in no rush to sell our home. If the buyers walked away from the sale, it won't ruin us. Especially in a seller's market.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts on this.
Hi Cat Bee, you’ve presented good questions to the buyers and their agent. Your agent should follow up with the buyer’s agent to obtain answers to your very reasonable questions. My question is have you received and reviewed a written report? And, did that report include the cost of remediation? I ask because the cost to remediate might not be excessive (you mentioned could cost thousands of dollars) and it might be best to simply pay to have the issue remediated by the company that produced the analysis. The report should have photos and the area where the sample was taken from. Yes, we are currently in a seller’s market, but, any reports that you or your agent have received should be submitted to any and all buyers. With that said, you could end up in the same situation as you are currently experiencing. Your next best step is to ask your agent for his/her recommendation and whether it would be in your best interest (and if you are legally able) to work towards cancelling your current contract or get the buyers to honor the contract and go forward with the purchase (with or without any mold remediation, etc). I hope this helps.
Thank you for your reply and thoughts on this. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.
Initially, we received a written estimate from the buyer's 'mold inspector'. I found it to be a conflict of interest for an inspector to inspect AND offer remediation with a hefty price. We did not receive photos of the area in question or the location of the one sample they had taken around the time I originally posted my question to you.. Since this time, the buyers have answered my questions (although still not to my liking as they kept it very general). Only then were photos sent to us. Only one sample was taken. We now see the area they are concerned about. It does have a mold-like speckled appearance.
My husband and I decided to have an accredited mold inspector of our choice, come to evaluate this and the surrounding area. The inspector said the speckled area looked like mold staining but no telling how long it had been there. Multiple moisture readings in this area, as well as all over that side of the garage, were taken. Everything was bone dry.
He said that since the speckled area looks like mold and the buyer's inspector's specimen that was send to an accredited lab said it was mold spores, then it must be remediated. He also said that the mold could be contained in just that portion of drywall and may have been caused by condensation from pipes in the area or pipe leak at some point.
I found it odd that the buyer's inspector would have detailed estimate of all the remediation work to be done. There should be varying degrees of remediation, in the sense of a 10x10" piece of drywall, as opposed to the entire wall and ceiling.
Our inspector asked what was above the drywall in question; was it a bathroom? I told him that what's directly above is our daughter's bedroom and there is hard wood on the floor.
As a responsible homeowner, I want to be attentive to the buyer's concerns, especially a suspicion of mold. But we also don't want to plunk out thousands of dollars for remediation, if that mold is no further than the piece of drywall its sitting on either.
In our response to the buyer's request for repairs, we will be asking that we choose the company to remediate. It will be done to the proper specifications for accredited mold remediation with a clearance test at the end.
If the buyer insists that we only have their remediator do the work, then our answer will be "no". We'll then let the pieces fall where they may.
Hi Cat Bee, it sounds like you have the situation under control. The good news is that if your transaction falls/fell through you'll have your own report to use in the next transaction, so you can plan ahead for how you would like to handle the situation. Good luck to you, I wish you well on the sale of you property.
@@tidycats151 Thank you. This is what we ended up doing. But I can kick myself for not staying another year in this house. The selling priced increased $75G within that following year. (ok, me, turn the page:( The major lesson for me is this: if its a seller's market, then no negotiations. We were trying to do the right thing.
We bought another home with a seller who didn't disclose ANYTHING. Said everything was great. Inspections and specialty roof inspections found no issues. But we soon discovered major roof issues and water intrusion from the decking upstairs into the downstairs living room.
Makes me question the value in being honest anymore.
A great and comprehensive explaination of the process. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Kim! The inspection reports can feel overwhelming to buyers, but not everything is critical or needs to be done right away. Best to be reasonable and make it work for each side to feel it is a win - win.
Thank you for this. I think we all get a little nervous when we get a list of issues with a house.
Helpful
Glad to hear that, thank you for watching!
Very helpful! Thanks so much!
You're welcome! and thank you for watching!
That is Some Great Advice , Kim. I picked up some pointers ! Thanks !
Such a great point to cover. This can make or break a transaction. Great Job, Kim!!
Fantastic tips! Thx for sharing! 👌
Negotiation is a delicate matter. Thanks for sharing these awesome tips!
Solid advice on buyer negotiations especially - you are the best negotiator
Thank you for watching Cyndee!
So I've heard the thing about the 15-year-old water heater being described in the inspection report as end-of-life, and I understand why it would be unreasonable to ask for replacement. But what about a 25-year-old, severely corroded water heater with in an area where water heaters typically last about 15 years? No leaks, still works. I can see the seller's POV that the buyer is not purchasing a new home makes replacement with a brand new WH seem too much; what's a reasonable ask? A credit towards half the replacement cost? Something more? Or less?
In situations like that it is best to consult with your real estate agent. My take is usually a partial credit for the cost of the water heater, often times about half the price. However, it really depends on what else the buyers are asking for (i.e. is that the only items? are they asking for a lot of other repairs or closing costs?). Your agent should reach out to the buyers agent and give you clear advise about what they're looking to get out of the request. thank you for watching and commenting!
@@ProbateandTrustHelp - Thanks for your reasoned reply; this was very much what I was thinking. After having listened to your advice in the video, we only asked for two repairs (in the form of credits): for the water heater, and for a fire safety issue with the electrical panel. My thinking is that we would be willing to meet the seller half way on both items.
Thanks again for a very helpful discussion!
Great topic!
Wonderful video Kim and I agreed when you said "when you something is working correctly, buyers should not ask for new replacement" ;-)
A very helpful video in reviewing the negotiation options after the home inspection.
Loved this topic as it is important to know how to negotiate after inspection successfully. A lot of contracts fall through and they shouldn't. I liked that you are also bringing up the responsibility of the Seller when dealing with the different types of financing as many do not comprehend this. Excellent job as always!
Thank you for the additional tips. Happy "belated" New Year's, Kim!🎊🎉🍾
Great video, so well narrated
Thank you kindly Jonathan! I appreciate you watching and commenting.
Thanks for this enlightening video. Our house is in trusteeship. When we sell the house, in whose name would the payment chq be done: the Trustee or the Land Trust name or the beneficiaries names as stated in the land trust?!
I’m not absolutely certain, and I don’t have a lot of knowledge about trustee ships. This would be a better question for an estate attorney. Sorry, I really couldn’t help… And thanks for watching.
This is the biggest hurdle to cross and where 2 agents who are worth their weight in gold can do wonders for their clients
Excellent information. I am first time seller and our home inspection was just done yesterday. Your information lets me know what to expect and what is reasonable. I feel you’ve placed me in a better position with this knowledge. Grateful. 🙏👍🏻
So very happy that my video helped you to feel more knowledgeable about the inspection and buyer request for repair process! How did it go?
Today is final day of inspection period, haven’t heard anything yet. Fingers crossed.
How did it go?
Great detailed explanation of the negotiation! You guys need to hire Kim to make sure you are covered in this regard. Thanks for sharing.
Good Information
Great information, you really need to call Kim so you don't have to stress out.
well explained
Thanks this really helped. Our inspector did find a bunch of things wrong with a 16 year old home were about to buy. Most are genera maintenance stuff but he did point out 2 that were concerning. The main power conduit that connects the city power to the homes main power panel is broken and the main power lines are exposed. This is concerning as it is a safety Hazzard. Definitely will see if the seller can fix this. The second big issue is that the RV gate on the side has been detached from the bottom bracket and it is not only inoperable it also poses a big safety Hazzard as it may topple over causing bodily harm.
By the way what is your opinion on a backyard patio that shows signs of water damage due to a old damaged roof? Would this be worth asking the buyer to replace the roofing material?
And is it common for sellers to pay for the buyers 1st year home warranty coverage in 2022? At first we were going to see if the seller can do something about the old working 16 year old 4 ton units (2) but after watching this we see it isn't a good idea to ask. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? Maybe they can assist us with the home warranty instead.
Hi Eddie, I'm glad your inspector uncovered various maintenance issues that could be of concern for you after the close of escrow.
You should always refer questions like these to your real estate professional. Because I am not involved in your sale I cannot speak on your specific circumstances. This is especially true when it comes to an changes in the contract terms, such as request for repairs and asking for home warranty coverage.
I will say that my personal preference for request for repairs... I always try to ask for a set dollar amount rather then the seller to make the repairs. This helps: to prevent a slew of phone calls and back and forth if a repair isn't done to the buyers liking; give the buyers choice of their own technicians; keeps the timeline moving along as planned so that the sale goes through more quickly, i.e. there isn't a delay caused by the repairs taking longer then anticipated.
Good luck with your purchase, I hope it all goes smoothly.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp We did end up asking the seller to address some concerns. He simply said that at the moment he doesn't have time to fix the problems. Instead he gave us a $4000 credit in lieu of repairs. This will be used to cover closing costs. Totally wasn't expecting this to happen. I believe 4k USD is more than enough to repair most things the inspector found. Even the patio roof. Only other big expense that i will have to pay out of pocket for is the 2 ac units. They are 16 years old and may go out soon. Other than that all other appliances are relatively new and even the water heater is new.
It sounds like it all worked out well for you!
I heartily agree that it's better to address most repair situations with a request for a price reduction or dollar credit rather than an actual repair by the seller. Time is tight, and a seller is under enormous pressure to do the repair for the absolute minimum cost at the expense of quality or durability, and we all know that a buyer could potentially be very particular in their expectations for a repair. If you are a buyer, agree on a dollar amount and have the repair done yourself so that you have control over how and to what level of perfection the repair is done. I am always stunned when I hear of a buyer asking to have an HVAC unit replaced by the seller -- I myself would not be interested in living with the cheapest available HVAC unit installed in a great rush for 15 years or more.
My tips are: The owners need to be there when the inspector is there. There are many things that the inspector has no idea about the whys and the hows of the house. The inspector will make uninformed decisions and opinions.
The inspector said the hot water was only 96 degrees and it should be over 110 degrees. But he didn't know that after I moved out I turned the breaker to the hot water heater off so ambient air would heat it and it would save electricity. No one is taking showers. But he didn't know that because he didn't consult with the owner. Also water temperature is an opinion. 96 is good for washing dishes, but 110 is too hot to wash dishes, unless you use a dishwasher.
I would disagree, it is not a good idea for the seller or a tenant to be at the home during an inspection . In my experience it is better to have your real estate professional there to represent you and answer any question that the buyers and their agent may have.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp Why does the real estate buy/sell process have to be an adversarial process like opposing parties in a court case? Both should work together for the result.
That's why I hate realtors. They act like lawyers.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp The problem there is that inspectors are idiots. They flag things based on their uneducated opinions.
There are two side to real estate transactions the buyers and the sellers, and like in all negotiations you never want to show your entire hand.
You forgot to mention insurance binder issues, i.e., old knob and tube wiring.
Thank you for the suggestion Matthew.
I think that home inspections are underrated. They help both the buyer and seller!
I think home inspections are overrated. They don't tell you want you can't find out for yourself and you should be finding those things out for yourself and not be paying someone to do it. How hard is it to turn on and off the faucets and light switches? You are going to have to fix things anyway.
good tips but dont go into an inspection always looking to nickle and dime.
It's so important that buyer agent's manage expectations on what's reasonable when it comes to asking for repairs.
I don't think it's unreasonable to request changing galvanized pipes used for consumption to non-galvanized pipes? Lead...health risk. Quite reasonable actually if it wasn't disclosed to start with.
Hi J C, thank you for commenting. I believe in this circumstance the water pipes were polybutylene and there was no way to disclose it because it was behind the wall, and not visible. Have a great day!
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thanks for commenting!
So i had 58 items from the inspector...... I asked for 23 I did not even ask of the extremely nasty 2 rooms carpet... as well the upper porched was a pet pen I did not even ask for that to be cleaned .. I did ask what ever caused the leak into the kitchen bedroom and living room to be fixed and the damage it caused (the inspector says it appears to be the top porch) ... as well there were so many snakes under ht crawl space inspector could only do a partial inspection and noted a rather large snake with many snakes skins. So I asked for help with snake extermination and termites exterminated on the tree stub under the crawl space. Of course, there were no rodents...lol....also he noted utility room had evidence of flooding ...so I asked to have that carpet pulled up and the flooring repaired if the flooring is damaged there. there were a total of 59 items i asked for 23 items including have and conditioner to be replaced.
Wow! That is quite a lot of big ticket items! I How did the seller respond? Did they credit you? Have some of the issues repaired? or agree to nothing?
There's a point at which a buyer should just cut and run, unless all these problems was built in to an especially attractive selling price. Rather hard to imagine the seller could be unaware of most of these conditions.
None of those are important and you can always do them yourself. Infact if the buyers don't fix things themselves, can you call the house yours? You just have a deed to someone else's property.
It is foolish for people to put offers on houses that they, themselves have not done the detailed inspections on. Why put an offer and then hire someone else to do the inspection. Waste of time and money.
We always recommend that a buyer get as many inspections as they want ie. general inspection, roof, electrical, plumbing, main sewer line to name a few. Keep in mind that we primarily represent sellers and don't provide advice to buyers or their agents, but, we do provide a 12 page document that details any and all inspections that they can obtain and pay for. Hope this helps!
That's not how this works. The sellers don't want to deal with you and your inspectors before you make an offer. You tour the house, see what you can, and make an offer based on what you know at that point (with inspection contingencies). If the seller likes that offer, THEN you can start scheduling inspections.
Absolutely nobody wants to work around your schedule and deal with your inspections before knowing if you're even gonna play the game.
Imagine having 10 people interested in your house and having to deal with 10 viewings, plus 10-30 different inspections just to get someone started down the road of contract... ridiculous
Yes, the inspection period takes place after your offer has been accepted.