3 Tips for Dealing with Repair Requests in Today’s Market

If you’re selling a home, your buyer is probably going to ask for repairs to be done. You may have heard that in today’s crazy market, buyers are waiving home inspections. Some are, but there are still plenty of buyers who expect repairs when they purchase your home. To prepare for this situation, here are my three tips for dealing with home repair requests in 2021:

1. Explain the difference between repairs and improvements. Home repairs come from the home inspection report and should focus on immediate issues. For example, a leaking roof is a repair. However, if an inspection found that the roof may need fixing in five years, that’s not a repair, it’s an improvement. 

2. Avoid doing repairs yourself. If something needs to be done, I highly recommend giving the buyer a credit instead of doing the work yourself. This protects you from liability and can save you a massive headache. Sometimes the buyer doesn’t like your work. Other times they don’t think your repair resolves the issue with the home to their satisfaction. Either way, it makes more sense to give the buyer a credit and let them do the work after the closing. 

3. If you must do the repairs, do them closer to closing. If your buyer insists on you doing the work, it’s important to do it later in the process. I recommend waiting until after the inspection process, the appraisal, and the loan process to make your repairs. This way, no matter what your buyer thinks of your repairs, you are still very likely to finish the sale. 

If you have any questions about repairs, or you are looking to buy or sell a house, do not hesitate to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.