How to Negotiate a Home Inspection (Seller)

[@CalvAnon]

I enjoyed this segment very much.

[@ttrestle]

I’m watching this as a buyer. Muhaaha!

[@McDonaldResidential]

Great idea! I have another video on negotiating for buyers.

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

Buyers should be doing the inspections themselves. Inspectors do not know more than buyers do about that.

[@EmeyMendez]

I do appreciate all the info you have just shared. You explain it so easy, I really liked it.

[@McDonaldResidential]

Glad it was helpful

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

Great point..inspectors are paid to point out things. In Alaska the same inspector repeats the inspection after the fixes have been implemented. Inspection of well and septic tank is separate and paid by seller instead of the buyer. In Alaska, any earth (soil) contact with house siding is a no-no and all 4-sides should slope away from house. Some "repairs" are easy such as replacing standard outlet with GFCI outlet on heat trace outlets, smoke detectors in each bedroom, a CO detector on each floor, etc. Our attorney said most law suits he has been involved with have been due to the disclosures forms so important to be as accurate and timely as possible.

[@McDonaldResidential]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and how it works in Alaska

[@A_Girl_named_nick]

Selling my first home and this was VERY helpful. We have an offer but my nerves go in all directions. Thank you for this helpful video!

[@McDonaldResidential]

Congrats, glad it was helpful!

[@amanacatandhisdog8836]

Central Texas termite, foundation inspections are common here.

[@McDonaldResidential]

Good info, thanks for sharing

[@NoneFB]

I am a lic. home inspector. A few years ago I inspected a falling in concrete retaining wall at a rear entrance. I can estimate this and separately wrote, $22,500.- My client is the Buyer. After closing she calls me to announce that the sellers handed her a 20,000.- check on the closing table. This is WHY a buyer hires a home inspector!

[@McDonaldResidential]

Great win for the buyer!

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

Except Inspectors are idiots. They are supposed to do their inspections with the owner there and consult with the owner. Because the owner may have installed something or changed something and the inspector won't understand it. The inspector said that the hot water heater was not hot enough, but he didn't consider that I lowered the heat after moving out. Don't they consider that when people move out they reduce utilities. Also I had removed the pneumatic door closer on the storm door between the house and garage because I don't want to go through 2 doors. There is no need for a storm door between the garage and house. He said it was damaged, but I intentionally did that so it was working as designed. The inspector said that the house has partial gutters. Because of that the buyer wanted gutters on the whole house. You all are creating pussys. When I bought the house 20 years ago there were no gutters. Then I noticed wood deteriorating on the front and back. I had someone install gutter on the front but I didn't think that he did a good job because he used metal. I then installed them on the back in vinyl myself and did a better job. If I can do it myself, anyone can. But there was no need to put them on the sides of the house. And if I did they would be filling up with leaves too much. But inspectors are too stupid to think of that.

[@freephilly53]

Very good information and excellent presentation 🙂

[@McDonaldResidential]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@RealTalkWithRealLifeJake]

Great video! I just recently had a home inspection on a 20 year old 2200sqft shop house. After many minor to medium issues in the report, the only item i asked was to have an hvac tech guy come out and servive the unit, replace the thermostat, and put a cover on an exposed 220v dryer outlet(electrocution hazard). Then i asked the seller to buy a 1 year home warranty ($660) since the air conditioner unit is past it's expected average life expectancy. The house is at $239k, i offered full price and they agreed to pay half of closing costs. I don't feel like i asked too much. I could've asked a ton, based on that home inspection report. But i just stuck to the #1 most probable cost expense item and 1 major safety item thats inexpensive to fix.

[@McDonaldResidential]

That sounds like a reasonable ask for sure!

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

Asking them to fix anything or pay closing costs is asking too much. Buyers need to understand that home ownership has maintenance come with it and you need to know how to repair or replace things.

[@paulajorgensen8056]

In my town of St Louis Park, MN, a pre listing inspection by the city is required! Not sure how this is going to affect the negotiation. Most of the houses here are 60, 70, 80 years old.

[@McDonaldResidential]

Oh, interesting. No city inspections are required in the Seattle area for resale.

[@0351jappy]

Thank you for great video.very informative.

[@McDonaldResidential]

Glad it was helpful!

[@LoganTaylorEHP]

Thanks

[@McDonaldResidential]

You bet

[@nancycobb4479]

I didn’t know you could do a pre inspection. The disclosure listed what they had done to the 1978 property. But didn’t list what we found. Now I’m under contract, the attic has vermin damage and a dead mouse and 10 windows that have lost the seal. Waiting to see what the seller has to say.

[@McDonaldResidential]

That's unfortunate. Those are fairly common in the Seattle area.

[@sandragilmore7716]

I just went through the buyer wanting me to split cost of windows being replaced. 25 K was taken off listing price. If I did that 15K more off the asking price. I said no.Selling this house is a nightmare. 😢. The buyer wanted other things too the home came with 5 acres. He was a horse rancher with lots of money but he wanted to split the cost of replacing windows. Not fare 😢

[@McDonaldResidential]

Some buyers will ask for a lot and it's best to walk away

[@Kitnkaboodle_64]

@sandragilmore….Looks like your post is from March 2023: at a time in many areas where the peak listing prices were being asked. If you, the seller, are expecting Over the Top dollars for your property, you should be offering an Over the Top product. Windows that need replacing doesn’t sound like a Top product. Reducing 25K off your initial list price reveals an agent who got your listing by promising you a lottery win on the giant listing price, a true misread on the market in your area, or the mortgage interest rates that kept buyers on their couches scanning Zillow and fretting. That your windows weren’t up to par yet your realtor and you listed anyway just speaks more clearly to the craziness that’s been home selling/buying the past several years. So many other factors could have been playing at the time, of course. Hopefully you still sold for a nice gain and didn’t end up paying way more for a smaller place in a worse location. As for the guy buyer having lots of $$ and it not being fair to you -- neither of those are actually a consideration in the adult world of negotiating a deal.

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

@@Kitnkaboodle_64 If the buyer doesn't like it, then reject it before signing. Buyers should not demand that sellers fix anything.

[@donnaallgaier-lamberti3933]

An inspection told me that the a/c unit was 30 years old and likely to fail in the near future. I (the buyer) was able to go back to the seller and request an new a/c unit. That saved me approx.$5,000 right after purchasing in a new town where I did not know who to call. QUESTION: It's a brand new code in our state to have a surge protector on our electrical box (the estimate I got was around $800.00+.) Must I have this done pre selling?

[@McDonaldResidential]

Good for you, that's great! I'm not sure of the rules in your state. In WA, you would at least need to disclose that you know this info.

[@elmamirdan397]

Watching as buyer. We are getting estimates for the major work to be done but we love the house and I want it to work. I want the seller to be fair to us.

[@McDonaldResidential]

Hoping it works out for you

[@laladeylaya6738]

me same here but there were 58 items and i asked for 28 to be repaired or replaced it been 3 days and no answers and I am not sure what will have me work with sellers or walk away,

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

Then fix things yourself.

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

@@laladeylaya6738 You should fix them all yourself. Don't you know that things will break after you buy it and you need to know how to fix it yourself?

[@9109mandy]

Should the buyer share the inspection report with the Sellers attorney?

[@McDonaldResidential]

I would ask your agent that question. In WA State, we are only allowed to share inspection reports with the seller if they request it.

[@McDonaldResidential]

@@tidycats151 there is a process for gaining the seller's permission to share. Usually all or a portion of the report ends up being shared as part of the negotiation, but with the seller's permission first

[@ImOutdoorzManTv]

So in new jersy if the buyer says i need the windows garage door boiler and electrical panel repaired the seller has to fix or can the seller negotiate with the buyer?

[@McDonaldResidential]

Great question! In WA, sellers and buyers negotiate repairs. Seller is not obligated to fix what the buyer wants unless they agree to it. I'm not licensed in New Jersey so I have no clue if it's different. I'd bet it's similar. Any NJ agents out there?

[@Longjohnsilver58]

The buyer does not really have the final word. They have already invested a ton of money for inspections that they will not get back. The buyer is just off the market for a few weeks. I don't think those two are always comparable. The seller generally has an edge. Also, the seller can always get another buyer. Is the buyer really going to find another dream home? I think buyers have to be very careful trying to use the inspection as a means to eke out more money. It is much better to get the price you want up front and assume you will get nothing from the inspection.

[@McDonaldResidential]

The inspection can reveal issues that were unknown before making an offer that can substantially affect the value of a home. It is reasonable to negotiate over those things. It may or may not make sense to negotiate over small-dollar items.

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

@@McDonaldResidential The buyer should be testing and checking everything prior to making the offer. But now a days buyers are pussys and want to rely on others.

[@mabast007]

house without garages worth less than a house with a garages?

[@McDonaldResidential]

@@mabast007 if they are identical in all other ways, yes

[@Gretchenbrooke]

Sellers don’t have to provide a disclosure report if they’ve “never occupied the home”. That’s what I’m dealing with now. A father bought this house in 2007 and rented it out the whole time. Recently died and left it to his children, who obviously also have never occupied the residence. So they legally do not have to disclose any info on the house for the past 16 years.

[@McDonaldResidential]

That's generally true of estate properties. That makes the home inspection even more important. Although some things won't be caught during a few hour inspection, unfortunately.

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

Yeah? So? What's the point?

[@Soso0408]

Who Negotiate the inspection items ? The buyer’s agent or the buyer’s lawyer?

[@McDonaldResidential]

In WA State, agents typically negotiate inspections items. Each state is a little different.

[@historicaltvvideos8971]

Neither. The Buyer fixes them after closing.

[@hoooptie]

I like how buyers is with glasses, sellers no

[@McDonaldResidential]

LOL, very observant

[@McDonaldResidential]

Not filmed on the same day :)

[@pcarobsessed9778]

I bought the new home and this stupid home inspector pointed every little thing. Like who tf they think they are??

[@McDonaldResidential]

That's their job