I will often get a phone call the day after the inspection asking me, "What is the best way to get repairs done?"

Some Clients have already talked to their Realtors about getting repairs done, so the question is a little longer: "What is the best way to get repairs done, have the Sellers do them or take a Seller credit or lower price and have them done myself?"

The answer to the question depends on several factors.

If there is a lot of damage or deferred maintenance, or items that make the home generally unsafe, you should certainly have repairs done before you move in. The caveat there is that I believe you should also have them done before close of escrow while someone else still owns the property. The reason why is because occasionally accidents happen causing additional damage to the property. The worst case I'm familiar with is when a house exploded and burned down while it was being tented for termites.

Repairs can also uncover additional damage that was not visible at the time of the inspection.

If the home is safe to live in, and you, or someone in your family or circle of friends, have the necessary skills to do the work, then you could consider having the repairs done yourself. However, when you do this, you should add at least 25% to your repair budget for additional damage that might be uncovered.

Another thing to consider is that the Seller will usually -- not always, but usually -- choose the least expensive route to do the repairs, and they might not be up to the quality that you would do if you had them done yourself.

Yet one more think to factor in is the inconvenience that might be required to have repairs done. If you need to move in and start living, have the repairs done before you close escrow. If you don't mind not being able to use one of the bathrooms for a couple of days, then you can have repairs done after you move in.

If you and the Seller cannot agree on how to have repairs done, get those three estimates that I talked about in a previous post and take the money for the middle estimate. Then hire the people you want to do the work, perhaps even putting in a little money of your own to get the higher quality than what the Sellers might do. Whether you do it before or after you close escrow, though, still must be determined.

In all circumstances, though, I suggest that you and the Seller agree on who will make the repairs, and never, ever fail to get the receipts and any warranty papers for the work that was done.

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