Guidelines for Home Inspection Repair Requests
Ok…so you bought a condo and you have had a home inspection and you now have an 18 page report in front of you telling you that the condo you bought is a real hell-hole. You start to freak out- that simply means you are human. Don’t sweat it. I usually tell my buyers (when making an offer) to look at the interior condition of the condo and make your offer accordingly. It is usually difficult to ask a seller to make repairs on items that were visually OBVIOUS when you first bought the condo (like in a brownstone condo- if you can see the windows are very old and need some repair- it is going to be difficult for me to get you a credit for things you reasonable knew were not up to snuff. However- It can be more difficult for a buyer to estimate the age of a heater or the age of specific wiring and that can usually be a lot easier to get a credit to upgrade. But know that usually the seller will not give you a full credit…the number is generally negotiated.
And IF you have the option for a credit or a repair from the seller- Get a credit. Because if the seller makes the repair and you don’t like HOW they made the repair- then we are all up sh*t creek without a paddle. And finally, know that many Philly Highrise buildings supply your heat, your electric and AC so you have no recourse to ask the seller to affect those as the seller does not own those elements.
