When touring a home that you are considering buying, there are certain concerns you’re likely to come across. The important thing is to understand whether those concerns need to be repaired before you make an offer on the home. Certain repair requests can get in the way of your offer, especially if the home has stiff competition. Here, we will look at some of the most common home inspection repair requests to avoid.
Any Cosmetic Issues
If you are on a house inspection and you notice paint that needs touching up, a tile that’s cracking, or a deck that needs a new stain, you should not make a request to fix these issues. Many kinds of cosmetic issues are not vital items that need to be fixed immediately. Such issues could also include water damage that has only left minimal stains on a wall or ceiling. If anything, you are better off purchasing the property and dealing with these later, as you can often take care of them for a relatively low cost.
Windows With Failed Seals
Windows with a failed seal tend to be very common when searching for a home. Many home inspectors will agree that this is not something you worry much about, as it is also generally seen as cosmetic. A failed window seal does not cause enough damage to warrant repairs before you purchase the home. Keep this in mind when you make an offer. If there are several windows with this issue, simply account for it in your initial offer. There are plenty of resources to help show you how to choose a window replacement style and fix the issue at a reasonable price.
Potential Personal Renovations
When you are looking around a home, you may see some areas and details that you would like to renovate. However, you should never mention this with your initial offer. It is never the seller’s responsibility to renovate the home according to your design dreams. It is better that you avoid asking the seller to do any repairs that are connected to your renovation plans, as this a likely way to lose the sale.
Any Loose Railings or Fixtures
You’ll notice that many home inspection repair requests to avoid are issues that you can fix inexpensively, once you own the home. This goes for any loose railings, fixtures door handles, and other similar issues. These are common concerns in homes, but you can usually fix them with your own basic hand tools. If you should run into a situation that you cannot fix on your own, such as fixtures with stripped screws, you can call a professional contractor who will solve the problem at a low price.
