Tips for Negotiating Home Repairs When You Sell Your House

When you’re selling a house in Long Beach or Lakewood, the buyers who make an offer are most likely going to hire a home inspector. The inspector will go through your home, inch by inch, looking for defects or issues that might affect the buyer’s enjoyment of the home.

The inspector will find something. Even brand-new construction has issues, and it’s practically unheard of for an inspector to leave a house without finding at least a few minor issues. The point is that every home has room for improvement.

So do you have to make the repairs the buyer wants you to make?

Not always. There are a couple ways you can deal with repair requests, and your real estate agent will walk you through them - but here’s a quick run-down of your options.

Tips for Negotiating Home Repairs When You Sell Your House

If a buyer asks you to make repairs before he or she is willing to go through with the transaction, you have some decisions to make. You can:

• Agree and make the repairs

• Take some money off the purchase price of your home so the buyer can make repairs

• Offer something else that’s valuable to the buyer

• Offer a home warranty

• Refuse to make the repairs

Here’s a quick look into each option.

Option #1: Agree and make the repairs

You can always go ahead and make the repairs your buyer is asking for, but talk to your real estate agent before you spend a large sum of money. Your agent may have some better - and more cost-effective - ideas.

Option #2: Take some money off the purchase price of your home so the buyer can make repairs

Sometimes you can offer to take the cost of the repairs - or something close to it, anyway - off the home’s sales price. That way, buyers can find the contractor and have the repairs performed themselves (which some buyers prefer anyway).

Option #3: Offer something else that’s valuable to the buyer

In some cases, you can offer things like the washer and dryer to your buyers in exchange for not making repairs in the home. Don’t offer them right away, though - check with your real estate agent to find out if that’s even necessary.

Option #4: Offer a home warranty

A home warranty is a great tool for giving buyers peace of mind, and it’s an affordable alternative to fixing things in many cases. You can offer to purchase one for a year for your buyers.

Option #5: Refuse to make the repairs

You can say no to making repairs if you want to - but remember that it could derail your deal. However, if you’re in a competitive market and people are clamoring to buy your house, you have a little more leeway when it comes to putting your foot down.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Lakewood or Long Beach?

If you’re buying or selling a home in Lakewood or Long Beach, we can help. Call us at 562-882-1581 to find out how!