You just had the home inspection done, and for the most part, everything looks great. There are a few items here and there that the home inspector pointed out, but nothing that’s too serious. Should you still ask for the “not too serious” items to be fixed? Why not? It’s not your money, right?! Or should you just leave it alone and fix it once you move in? How do you decide on what to ask for and what not to ask for when it comes to repairs?

I recently had a buyer who, for one reason or another, was fixated on having the sellers purchase him a drip pan for a washing machine. I’m not sure of his reasoning, but I knew it was important to him and that’s all that mattered. The sellers responded and said no, because if the buyer bought a pedestal washing machine, it wouldn’t require a drip pan. I conveyed this to my buyer, who was less than pleased with their response. After all, he wasn’t asking for much. Why couldn’t they just purchase one? I quickly offered to buy the drip pan myself, and we were all able to move on and close escrow. But when should you put your foot down and when should you walk away from a transaction altogether when it comes to repairs?

We all have our own little quirks that make us who we are, but sometimes we need to bite the bullet and look at the much larger picture, or run the risk of asking for repairs that upset the seller. It’s like the saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” A good idea when looking over the home inspection report is to focus on items that may put you and your family in danger.

Related: Death, Numerology And Sketchy Neighbors – Unusual Things Buyers Look For And Avoid When Purchasing A Home – Tracey’s Real Estate Tip Of The Week

Some items that may put your family in danger are actually required by law to be fixed. The water heater is one of those, and by law, it must be braced, anchored or strapped in accordance to the California Plumbing Code. This is to ensure there will be no falling or horizontal displacement during an earthquake.

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are also mandatory. There must be a smoke detector in each bedroom, in the hallway and on each floor. Carbon monoxide detectors should be placed on each level, preferably low to the ground. It is also recommended to install them by the kitchen and fireplace as well. If these are not present when you have your appraisal done, the appraiser will call it out in his report. Once they are installed, the appraiser will have to come back out and confirm it’s been done at an additional cost to the buyers of approximately $150, so make sure those smoke and carbon detectors are present! This happens so often that some realtors keep smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their car just for this reason.

Having your home retro fit is currently not required here in Santa Clarita, but is required throughout California. I anticipate by the end of 2017, it will be required here as well. This is paid for by the seller and would include gallon-restricted toilets and low-flow shower heads, among other things.

One of the main repair requests that upset sellers is when the buyer asks for something to be replaced or repaired knowing that they are going to remodel it anyways. Who wouldn’t be upset with that?

Other repair requests that upset sellers are when the seller has lived with something a certain way with no problems and the buyer wants it “repaired.” A recent example of this was when the buyers requested an overflow to be installed in the kitchen sink for the dishwasher. It wasn’t a small fix, though, because the contractor would have to break the granite counter tops to access the area. The buyers requested it to be fixed or a credit to be issued in the amount of $2,000, even though the sellers were the original owners and had never had a problem with it. Fortunately for the buyers, my sellers were the nicest people in the world and agreed to it — against my advice, I might add.

I’ve had many sellers who have received repair requests that cost very little to fix. You would think the sellers would be happy, but some get very upset. Their opinion was because it is so minor and costs so little to fix, why don’t the buyers deal with it on their own? Like with most things in life, I could see both sides of the argument.

I’ll leave you with this fun scenario… The home inspector has noted that your air conditioner and water heater are at the end of their normal life span. That’s all he says. So do you ask for them to be replaced or leave them? The sellers have never had a problem with them, they work great at the moment, and who really knows the “lifetime” of a product? The buyers are worried that once they own the home, the items may stop working and they will be left with two large purchases. What do you do? What do you as their agent advise? I know you’re on pins and needles, so I will tell you what I recommend. With both items currently working, you can’t ask for them to be repaired. If they stop working after the close of escrow, you can call your home warranty company and they should be covered. Confirm your agent has included the air conditioner in the home warranty plan, as it does not usually come standard. What do you think?  Sound good?

As you can see, real estate is a lot of fun and never gets old! If you have any questions, concerns, wants or needs regarding real estate please know I’m here to help!

Tune into KHTS AM-1220 every Friday at 8:40 a.m. to hear more on Tracey’s Real Estate Tip of the Week!

About Tracey Hampson and Tracey’s Real Estate Tips:

I have had the pleasure of living and working as a realtor in Santa Clarita and the surrounding areas for more than 14 years and I love sharing real estate tips with others. Throughout my Santa Clarita real estate career I have had the privilege of assisting buyers and sellers of Santa Clarita homes with their individual real estate needs. I’m here for you as well.

I hope you enjoyed my real estate tip of the week and if you have any questions, concerns, wants or needs regarding real estate please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help.

Tracey Hampson
Century 21 Troop Real Estate
License 01429142
(661) 993-6124
Thampson@Troop.com