That\u2019s it. Everything else is negotiable.\u00a0(L.A. City has additional requirements)<\/p>\n
In practice, sellers will usually fix broken and\/or safety items, but they are not required. But you are also not required to buy the house. If buyer and seller can\u2019t come to an agreement, the buyer can cancel during the contingency period (usually the first 17 days) and get all the deposit money back. The only money you would lose would be any money you spent on inspections and the appraisal (if it’s been done already).<\/p>\n
You MUST Perform Your Inspections<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nOk, you’re not required to by law, but if you’re my client you are. It’s one of the most important initial steps you’ll perform. It\u2019s up to you to order any and all inspections you\u2019d like, it\u2019s just at your expense. (Read: Which Home Inspections Should I Get<\/a>)<\/p>\nMost buyers will minimally get a general inspection. A general inspector will come out to the house for about 3-4 hours and he will test all the systems of the house. Think of him as your general doctor. He\u2019ll run the a\/c, open the electrical panel, check the water heater, etc. At the end, he\u2019ll walk you through any issues and you\u2019ll receive about a 50 page report going through each room and system of the house.<\/p>\n
Your general inspector may suggest you get more specialized inspections like sewer, roof, and chimney or you may decide to order them on your own. It’s completely up to you.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
With the help of your agent, you\u2019ll take the reports and you\u2019ll write up a Request for Repair. Technically the seller isn\u2019t required to respond to your request since homes are sold as-is, but if the seller wants to close the sale, you’ll get a response.<\/p>\n
Pro Tip:<\/span> Be reasonable with your requests and the seller will be reasonable too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat do I mean by reasonable? Don\u2019t ask for everything. I\u2019ve had buyers make the mistake of asking for a laundry list of items. That usually causes a knee-jerk reaction from the seller and they become less accommodating to making any repairs at all.<\/p>\n
Strategy To Get Your Repairs Accepted<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nHere\u2019s what I suggest, go through the report and pull out every item you would like to have repaired. If you have a list of a ton of items, try and whittle it down to your top 10 or so. Give more weight to safety and broken items.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re lucky and there aren\u2019t many issues in the report, throw in some other borderline items and see how they respond. Working items that are just old – like an old a\/c for instance – are highly unlikely to get replaced, so don\u2019t bother asking.<\/p>\n
Most buyers will minimally get a general inspection. A general inspector will come out to the house for about 3-4 hours and he will test all the systems of the house. Think of him as your general doctor. He\u2019ll run the a\/c, open the electrical panel, check the water heater, etc. At the end, he\u2019ll walk you through any issues and you\u2019ll receive about a 50 page report going through each room and system of the house.<\/p>\n
Your general inspector may suggest you get more specialized inspections like sewer, roof, and chimney or you may decide to order them on your own. It’s completely up to you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
With the help of your agent, you\u2019ll take the reports and you\u2019ll write up a Request for Repair. Technically the seller isn\u2019t required to respond to your request since homes are sold as-is, but if the seller wants to close the sale, you’ll get a response.<\/p>\n
Pro Tip:<\/span> Be reasonable with your requests and the seller will be reasonable too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What do I mean by reasonable? Don\u2019t ask for everything. I\u2019ve had buyers make the mistake of asking for a laundry list of items. That usually causes a knee-jerk reaction from the seller and they become less accommodating to making any repairs at all.<\/p>\n
Strategy To Get Your Repairs Accepted<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Here\u2019s what I suggest, go through the report and pull out every item you would like to have repaired. If you have a list of a ton of items, try and whittle it down to your top 10 or so. Give more weight to safety and broken items.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re lucky and there aren\u2019t many issues in the report, throw in some other borderline items and see how they respond. Working items that are just old – like an old a\/c for instance – are highly unlikely to get replaced, so don\u2019t bother asking.<\/p>\n