After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

Is it worth to ask for a couple of thousand dollars back? The thing is the house had 8 offers on it & I guess the owners could easily drop us so I'm not sure I want to rock the boat with them.

Message edited 9/28/2014 1:51:09 PM.

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

We negotiated on a really really low price in a fairly desirable area so we did not try to negotiate down any further. However, there was a minor electrical issue that needs to be fixed (installing those safety plugs in the kitchen and bathroom) so we got an estimate and the current homeowners are giving us a check at closing for us to take care of this.

It depends on the scenario whether it's worth it or not. Was the state of the house taken into account when arriving at the final sale price?

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

No, it wasn't really because at first glance at the open house everything looks tidy, & nice but once we really took a closer look with the inspector we saw a few things that we need to take care of. Actually, we should have someone come & give us estimates, plumbing stuff & brickwork but I don't think we have time for that in this market.

Message edited 9/28/2014 2:24:00 PM.

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

I always tell my buyer clients that -- barring any major issues (plumbing, electrical, or structural problems), you are buying a house "as is."

Most houses on LI are at least 50 years old. So you are not buying a new house, and the owner does not have to bring the house up to current code. Home inspectors often recommend that you do things to update the house or for "best practices" when it comes to maintenance, but most of those things fall into the category of things that you may choose to do but shouldn't expect the seller to do.

Without knowing more information about what specific issues that have arisen, it's hard to say what to do in your situation.

But I consider pointing on brick/chimney to be normal wear and tear and something you should do. Again, the house isn't new and it isn't perfect.

As far as the roof -- Is it leaking? If it is, then the sellers should repair (as roof should be free of leaks at closing, and that is typically a standard contractual provision). But if your inspector said "the roof is older and has maybe only a couple of years of life left on it" - then no, it is not customary to ask the seller to address that.

I think the key question to ask yourself is - is it broken or defective or dangerous? So if you have water getting into your electrical panel, then that's a problem to be addressed. If the electrical panel is 100 amps, and you would like it to be 200 amps, then that's an upgrade that's on you. If there is evidence of active termite infestation, then the seller should do a treatment, but if the home inspector says you should have a termite treatment system in place just as a precaution (although he sees no evidence of termites now), then that's something for you to do.

You are of course free to raise anything you want, but realize that when you raise a home inspection offer, you are renegotiating, and as you said, the seller may decide to move on to another offer (especially if they have 7 back up offers). So I would tread lightly.

And if you do raise home inspection items, realize that the seller may opt to just repair the item rather than give a monetary credit. As a buyer, I think your request should convey that you want a specific thing addressed, and give them the choice to repair it (of course they would need to use a qualified, licensed person and provide documentation) or give a monetary credit. But if you just demand a credit, it could look like you are trying to renegotiate the price after the fact, which is something that you shouldn't do (and is sure to aggravate a listing agent/seller).

I think you can more successfully negotiate items that would not have been apparent if not for the inspection. Something like brick pointing or an old roof can usually be seen by the naked eye and don't require a home inspector to point out. So if you do move on from this house, it's good practice to look at as much as you can and figure out the age of most things (roughly) before the inspection, so you can factor it into price.

I would consult with your agent - he/she should have a sense of what is reasonable to ask for and what is unreasonable.

But again, if you prevailed in a multiple offer situation, I would not nickel and dime the seller and give them an excuse to move on to another offer. And try to keep the home inspection issues in perspective. Every house is going to have their "things" - but some things are minor and some are major things that would make you walk away. From what you wrote, these things sound minor. For example, I just had an estimate done on a house I am selling and pointing on the bricks of the chimney AND replacing a rusted out damper was around $500. If you love the house, I think your instinct not to rock the boat over minor issues is correct.

After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

We negotiated and got 3500 off our price.

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

If they had 8 offers, I would certainly not try to get them down lower. Not if you want the house. JMO

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

I agree with Christine. It really depends what it is, but for the most part, the inspection is really just to tell you if the house is structurally sound, no leaks, dangerous wiring, etc. Wear and tear is just that and I wouldn't except a seller to fix that (or credit you).

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

Thanks everyone. We won't ask for anything.
Overall, it's a good house.

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

For the house we just purchased we got $2,500 back to repair a small leak in the roof that overhangs the garage and for two windows that are off of their tracks. Neither the owners nor did we know of the minor leak. It was in an area of the garage that you need a ladder to get into. Once discovered they had someone come for an estimated repair. We took the cash they offered and had it repaired by someone that we trusted.

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

Our a/c and heating system had a defect that could be dangerous, so we negotiated for the sellers to replace it(they had a home warranty so it worked out great) There was some other stuff that we just let go-like a broken garage door opener

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?

we asked and they agreed to repair everything that the inspection report said had to be repaired and/or replaced and got a credit towards new carpeting

Re: After receiving your inspection report, have you tried to get some money for repairs on things like roof, chimney, brick pointing?