Seller’s market? Let’s not ask for minor repairs… and which ones should be requested and made. Following the home inspection, the issues a buyer should focus on asking a seller to repair or replace are significant structural, mechanical, or environmental defects. It is reasonable to assume that any buyer would want these items fixed if discovered after a home inspection has taken place.

Home inspection items worth addressing

• Termites or other wood destroying insects
• Wildlife infestation like bats or squirrels in the attic
• Major drainage or on-going water problems
• Mold problems
• Elevated Radon levels
• Major electrical defects that cause safety issues
• Significant plumbing problems
• Lead paint
• Well water problems
• Major structural issues

Home inspection repair requests to avoid

• Cosmetic issues
  Cosmetic problems like a deck that needs staining, touching up the paint, or repairing a cracked tile are not the kind of problems that need dealing with right away. Cosmetic issues are at the top of the list to avoid asking a seller to fix.
• Anything under $100
  Minor issues under a hundred dollars to fix are home inspection repair requests a buyer shouldn’t make! Problems that arise from repair requests are not always about the financial cost, however, this is taking being nitpicky to the extreme.
• A window with a failed seal
  Failed window seals are quite common in homes. Most home inspectors will tell you that a failed window seal is purely cosmetic. The insulating value loss is extremely minimal.
• Loose fixtures, railings, and similar issues
  A loose doorknob, light fixture, or railing on a deck or stairwell may be annoying, or even potentially unsafe, but these problems are also often fixable with basic hand tools and a little effort.
• Minor water damage
  One of the more common water stains you will see in a home is in the ceiling over a bathroom. Water stains are usually easy to discern whether they are ongoing.
• Non-functional light switches and sockets
  Avoid requesting repairs for minor electrical issues. Flipping a switch that fails to turn on or off a light can be annoying, as can dead outlets, but they are not necessarily signs of large electrical problems.
• External buildings – sheds, garages, etc.
  If you are in a competitive market, you are going to have to be able to let some things go when it comes to other buildings on the property. Sheds are prone to rot; garages tend to get dirty.
• Cosmetic landscaping or minor yard problems
  A missing rock from the border of a flower bed, leveling a few bricks in a walkway, trimming the tree in the backyard – other buyers may not care at all about these things, buyers the seller will be happy to work with if you insist on minor landscaping repairs.

Article provided by Liliana Ware of ShowHomes Tampa Bay