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Old 05-21-2015, 01:54 PM
 
21,884 posts, read 12,964,704 times
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I've become rather "anti-home inspector" over the years; if you took them seriously, you'd never buy a single property! And they don't come cheap, either...
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Old 05-21-2015, 01:55 PM
 
Location: Verde Valley
4,374 posts, read 11,228,154 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skel1977 View Post
Again thanks for the responses.

I just talked to my realtor, she said those were what the buyers were asking for.

I told her drainage, AC, hot water heater all working. She suggested a 300 dollar credit to the buyers for outlets and a 1 year warranty that would cover pretty much every other issue which is about 755 dollars where I live. All in all 1k credit. It seems a good way to go seeing as how i wont have to hire a plumber, an electrician and an HVAC tech.

If they say no, a 2 year warranty and take it or leave it.
How hot is the market you're in? If it sold before it hit MLS, maybe it will sell again very fast. check with your realtor. Perhaps it might be best to "leave it".
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Old 05-21-2015, 02:46 PM
 
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Asked around and even GFI's left undone but given credit for can be okay with lender.
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:49 PM
 
Location: Living rent free in your head
42,850 posts, read 26,268,189 times
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when we sold our house an inspector said our deck didn't meet code because there was earth to wood contact. He said we had to put the deck on jacks and move it away from the house and put flashing between the deck and the house, it was a huge deck around 45' x 30'. I got 3 quotes for between $7,000 and $10,000 and was going to just cancel and relist the house, then a friend recommended another contractor, he came out and moved some dirt away from the posts that were in the ground and said 'problem solved, no more earth to wood contact' I paid him $200. The inspector came out to reinspect and didn't want to sign off on it because it wasn't done the way he wanted. The contractor who fixed it called him and explained that we were under no obligation to fix it the way he wanted, that the problem was solved. The inspector argued like crazy but finally passed it. I found out later that the inspector has a reputation for blowing up little problems into huge ones.
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:51 PM
 
450 posts, read 507,761 times
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I have to laugh at inspectors sometimes. On a house we recently sold, the inspector told the buyer that we needed GFI outlets in the garage, (Why? - there is no water source)?

A second inspector said that he estimated the roof might last another 8 years. (It was a brand new 30 yr. roof that came with a transferable warranty) The new buyer laughed! He won't need to replace it any time soon!

The inspector hired to look at our current house might have been blind or something. This is broken, that is broken the other thing needs work... (He didn't list a thing so this house was full of surprises).
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:52 PM
 
21,884 posts, read 12,964,704 times
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I would hate to think what an inspector would make of our 1940 home with quite a bit of deferred maintenance here and there; inspectors and buyers have ridiculous expectations these days! Things to fix? That what buyers do once they move in. Take it or leave it...
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Tucson for awhile longer
8,869 posts, read 16,317,950 times
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If your condo sold before the listing was even publicized, then tell these buyers to take it or leave it. Just because someone asks for a fix doesn't mean you have to do it. As a buyer, I ask for everything (why not?), but if the seller says no I am open to compromise. I might even say, "OK, forget it, I'll take it anyway," if I think I'm getting a good enough deal.

Also, as others have suggested, you could give them a credit, since you are making some kind of profit. Depends how quickly you need to sell. If you can hang on for awhile, tell them, "Thanks, but no thanks," and re-list for new buyers, selling it "as-is." It will cut down on your pool of buyers but your Realtor should know if there are enough potential buyers in your community to make that an acceptable alternative.
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:59 PM
 
21,884 posts, read 12,964,704 times
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Actually, you won't want to advertise it "as is"; that's a red flag that there are problems. But it's true that you don't have to agree to pay for or make a single repair, either. Just leave that for the negotiation process once you have an interested party and a potential deal.
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Old 05-21-2015, 04:05 PM
 
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So it turned out that those items were not listed by the inspector. Those were items that the buyers wanted done? Or both?

You don't have to have licensed this and that do any of that stuff, if you choose to do any of it. I can put in a GFCI outlet myself. You can get them at Home Depot. Easy peasy. It's just an outlet with a gizmo in it.

Panels usually are left alone, even if they don't meet code. Houses are usually grandfathered in, and if it met code when the house was built, it's good to go. Otherwise, all wiring in all houses more than a few years old would have to be done every time a house was sold.

However, there are some issues with some panels that some inspectors might choose to note. For example, I have two circuit panels. One of them was put in by a company that went out of business because it faked the UPL or whatever testing. Some of the panels have started fires. Mine is apparently okay, since it's old. Or maybe it's because I have two panels, so that one doesn't have much on it, so no overload issues? Anyway, that may not pass inspection when I sell my house, or at least the inspector might note it. Cost would be about $2k. That's a biggie. But it's pretty simple to change out a panel. I don't absolutely need to hire a licensed electrician to do it (although I probably would).

If there's a drainage problem or something simple like that (maybe the inspector thouht the tub drained too slowly), a call to The Drain Doctor for $65 would fix that. Or a handyman to snake it.

Anything in the inspection report that has to do with a hazard like electricity, or with water, might cause the lender not to do the loan, or the insurer not to okay the house for insurance. So those are top priority. Drainage, plumbing, leaks, roof, electrical, etc.

Never heard of an inspector mentioning the a/c unit. Even when they're ancient. That's a new one. And it's ridiculous.

So you can use any contractors or handymen you want. When I bought my house years ago, I turned in a list of smaller items to have fixed. The seller used a handyman and had them ALL done for about $150. Tub drain leak, toilet reseated with new wax seal, hanging electrical wire in unsafe area, etc.

Tip: Buyers usually don't have an inspector return to the property to verify the repairs were done. I did, when I bought my house, and he discovered that the handyman had not, in fact, fixed the leak from the tub drain. They were pulling one over on me, since that wasn't visible (under the house). The seller was a real jerk. He'd put his house on the market "as is," and absolutey refused to do anything, even something as obvious as a toilet that wasn't firmly screwed down to the floor. Consequently, the house sat there unsold for months.
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Old 05-21-2015, 04:06 PM
 
10,225 posts, read 7,583,226 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by otterhere View Post
I would hate to think what an inspector would make of our 1940 home with quite a bit of deferred maintenance here and there; inspectors and buyers have ridiculous expectations these days! Things to fix? That what buyers do once they move in. Take it or leave it...
I hate to think what an inspector is going to note for my 1953 home! Yikes!
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