When a Seller Refuses to Make Repairs, Can You Walk Away?

Sellers include any individual or entity who offers goods, services, or assets for sale to buyers in exchange for payment.

But if a seller refuses to make repairs following a home inspection, should you still close on it or walk away?

Major Issues

Refusing to make repairs can be extremely disappointing for home buyers, yet if it becomes an insurmountable obstacle then it is ok to walk away from a property and look elsewhere. When making repair requests it is essential that they are prioritized properly and understand what constitutes reasonable and unreasonable requests.

As an example, sellers might agree to replace an aged roof, while not being willing to cover the costs for major upgrades like kitchen and bathroom remodelling. Therefore, it is crucial that you understand these costs so you can weigh your options and decide whether it is worth leaving your dream home for less.

Sellers may offer cash credits or reductions in sales price instead of making repairs, which may help mitigate upfront costs for buyers while simultaneously acting as an effective negotiation tactic. If a seller refuses to budge, legal advice or assistance from Clever Partner Agents might be beneficial in handling this situation effectively.

Some issues identified during a home inspection report could endanger the health and safety of buyers, such as asbestos exposure, structural damage or building code violations. Such issues must be corrected prior to listing the home on the market; failure to do so could cause buyers to back out or lose financing for their purchase agreement.

Remember, sellers are under no obligation to make repairs following a home inspection report, even if its findings are deal-breakers for you. Either walk away and find another property or attempt renegotiation or obtain quotes from contractors to see the costs involved in making the necessary repairs yourself.

If you can’t come to an agreement with the seller, it may be best to walk away and move onto another property in today’s competitive real estate market. Finding your ideal home may prove difficult – don’t waste months hunting down something perfect only to have it crumble later due to required repairs!

Minor Issues

Home inspection reports provide buyers with leverage during negotiations over property, but it’s essential that their requests are reasonable. If they ask for every minor repair necessary to satisfy them, sellers are likely to ignore or counter them with equally unreasonable demands. Stepping back, reviewing offers with their agent, and being reasonable could change the tone of negotiations and give sellers time to reconsider your requests.

Sellers are not required to make repairs, but the circumstances surrounding an issue can often dictate whether or not a sale should proceed. If an inspector discovers something that jeopardizes buyer financing or creates safety risks, it’s crucial that sellers agree to correct it in order to complete the sale successfully. Structural issues with foundation, framing and chimneys could have detrimental effects on property value; any such concerns must be addressed by sellers promptly.

Electrical problems like faulty wiring, outlets without ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) or an insufficient number of smoke detectors should be taken seriously by sellers as a potential fire risk. Furthermore, plumbing issues like clogged drain lines must also be resolved in order to prevent loss of water or sewage.

If a seller rejects a homebuyer’s request for repairs, typically they can opt out of the deal; if, however, these issues are minor and don’t present an immediate danger, a seller might be able to convince them accept either a credit or price reduction in lieu of these repairs.

Additionally, sellers have legal obligations to disclose certain defects to buyers and this can be used as justification for not performing repairs. If home inspectors discover issues the seller knew about but failed to address, this information could come back into the spotlight and lead to lawsuits being brought by subsequent buyers who discovered these problems later on.

Cosmetic Issues

Though it is natural for buyers to want everything about their new home to be perfect, some items are cosmetic in nature and should be handled on the buyer’s “honey-do list”. For example, carpet stains or outdated paint should not be added to requests made to the seller as these issues can easily be dealt with once you move in and do not affect safety or functionality.

As a rule, sellers are usually more willing to make concessions or negotiate on issues related to health and safety than on cosmetic upgrades or upgrades that do not affect health and safety. Because of this, buyers should carefully review their home inspection reports before seeking repairs from sellers; your real estate agent can assist in helping determine whether any requests made are reasonable and how best to approach them with them.

Legal Issues

Most states have laws that mandate sellers either repair or disclose serious issues discovered during home inspection. If an issue such as a leaky roof arises during this stage, your legal right is to request that it is repaired prior to closing – your real estate agent should help explain your rights here.

Normal housing markets will likely grant buyers’ requests to make repairs they identify during home inspection. But in today’s low inventory market, you may find a seller simply refusing to complete necessary repairs – in such a situation you must decide whether it’s better for you to continue with negotiations or walk away and search for another home that better matches your requirements.

If a seller breaches their written contract obligations and they don’t meet your expectations as promised, you have every right to terminate and get your earnest money deposit back from an escrow company. As there may be tactics used by sellers in an attempt to escape their contractual responsibilities; such as going above and beyond disclosure regulations to expose every flaw with the property then framing them negatively – consultation with your agent on how best to handle such scenarios would be wise.

As well as helping to avoid certain legal pitfalls, making necessary repairs is also often in the seller’s best interests. After all, an unresolved defect that’s discovered by an inspector is an essential fact which must be disclosed to future buyers and can derail an entire sales process. Deciding whether or not to accept repair requests depends on factors like cost and inconvenience to the seller as well as whether or not your house will likely sell quickly at its current price point – for instance if asking the seller to install a new roof may result in negotiation on selling price reduction to make up for this expense if necessary.