You want to buy a home that is functional, and with a low risk of damage or costly repairs. A home inspection can give you an idea of what parts in your home need to be repaired or replaced. However, problems will usually arise after the inspection. After concerns are brought to your notice, the inevitable negotiation process of a real-estate transaction will begin.
Follow these tips and tricks to negotiate your home inspection repair without losing the sale of the house. Triton inspects have compiled a list to ensure that you are well prepared and can come out on top.
1: Focus on the major repairs and potential costs.
Prioritizing repairs is important. Some repairs must be done immediately, while others can wait. A heating system that is old or ineffective will cost a lot of money and be a necessity. Minor damage to the walls or scratches on the floor are considered cosmetic and do not usually require expensive repairs.
2: Test or evaluate each major item.
Sometimes additional testing is needed to ensure that everything works. Examples include central ACs that cannot be tested in cold weather and plumbing drain pipes buried underground. Older plumbing drain pipes may have corrosion, clogs and gaps. It can also be difficult to detect drainage blockages if the house has been vacant over a long period of time. You should contact a plumber who specializes in buried drain pipes to order the scan. This will help you avoid expensive drain pipe excavation.
3: Ask for credit when you do the work.
When you are buying a home, remember that the majority of sellers will be busy moving to a new place and won’t have time to do any repairs. When sellers fix repairs, they usually do the minimum work required. If a repair is not essential to your move-in date, you might want to take a credit at closing.
4: Be aware of the market conditions.
Market conditions can have a significant impact on what sellers are willing to do. Even if there are multiple offers on a house, the seller may not be willing to make any repairs or offer any credit, even if major defects were discovered during inspection. You can push for safety and health-related items in these situations, such as hazardous garage door openers, asbestos or unsafe electrical conditions. They may realize that they should not sell their home if it has known hazards.
5: Take your time when making a decision.
You will have to decide what to do if you find many serious defects and defaults, but the seller refuses to repair at least some. Ask yourself some questions before signing the contract. Is the house worth it? You will have to decide if you can afford to fix the things yourself. Should you leave the house and find another one?
Contact the professionals at triton inspects if you are looking for a Home Inspector in Alexandria who can determine if your house is in need of repairs. We are a home inspection company that has been in business for many years. Our services are of the highest quality. We strive to give you an accurate and unbiased evaluation of the condition of a home that you’re buying. We offer home inspections and commercial building inspections as well as specialty and follow-up inspections.