Barbara's Blog - How To Negotiate with A Seller part 3

Negotiating after inspections

Ok! You made an offer, it was countered and after some back and forth, finally an accepted offer with the earnest money at the escrow agent’s office.  Now for the inspection. It’s important to know that no house is absolutely perfect, even newly constructed homes have flaws. The Inspector is required to tell you among other things, any condition or flaw in appliances, heating/cooling systems, roofs, electrical, plumbing and issues with the foundation if visible and especially if the house is up to code.

This is where any contract can break down or be renegotiated. Sellers are not typically required to bring a house up to code – usually any remodeling done to a home has to be up to code and that is usually when home owners find out things that need to be brought up to code to pass inspection.

At this time you can only negotiate for repairs if the item in need of repair is deemed unsafe or needs a major repair to run effectively.

The seller should be just as motivated to make the contract work and be willing to make the repairs or come to some sort of compromise regarding the repairs. Definitely consult your agent and real estate attorney on your rights if the seller decides not to make the necessary repairs. You may want to walk away from the deal.