What repairs should I ask for after inspection?

retroindigo

In NJ, our contract states we are buying the home as-is and can only walk away from the contract if certain major issues are not addressed - the home's structure, major systems not working, mold/radon or flooding issues, etc. Thankfully our home inspection did not reveal any of these. However, there are a number of things the report did point out that we will need to budget for in the near future, just due to the age of the home. The roof is 5 years old, the heater and A/C are 8 years old and the hot water heater is 8 years old. Also, new windows.

Our sellers are an older couple in their 80s and are the original owners - the house is 52 years old. We dont want to offen them by asking for certain repairs, and we know we're not entitled to them, but we'd at least like to ask. Do you think these requests are reasonable or should we eliminate a few?

- adding GFI outlets in kitchen, bathroom and outside where needed. The house also still has older wiring and a few 2 prong outlets but we figured we'd do those updates on our own eventually.

-sidewalk has a few "lifts" where roots pushed them up, and we think if the twp doesnt require them to be replaced/fixed, our insurance will.

-garage door opener is older and doesn't have the auto-reverse safety feature. asking for that to be replaced.

-wall unit a/c in a bedroom doesn't work. House has central air, so we dont know why the wall unit was needed, but since its in the wall and not a window, we can't easily patch it up and would like a new one.

- garbage disposal doesn't work. other appliances are included in the home (dishwasher, fridge, washer, dryer) and they are giving a home warranty, but we dont know if the disposal is covered.

We will also suggest/request they consider negotiating with us for a credit for the repairs or assisting with closing costs. Do you think these requests are excessive? Should we focus on just a few? Or, do you think there's no harm in asking?

davisislands

It's AS IS. You are correct, you are not entitled to any of those things and should not ask. You knew going into the house it was "as is". If you don't want to pay for those repairs, you should not look at "as is" homes, simply put. If I was the seller I would be offended and feel that you're wasting my time.

lil_jen051708

You can ask for whatever but expect them to say no.  You are buying AS IS from a seller (not the bank) who seemed to be up front that you are buying the house as it stands.  They are older and do not want to make any fixes and your initial offer should have taken the condition of the home into account. 

LoveKiss

I agree with the PPs. You are buying "as-is" and really are not in a position to ask for anything.

retroindigo

I understand this which is why its simply a request. Do you really think there's any harm in just asking? Worst that could happen is they say no, right?

 

Our realtor informed us prior to signing the papers that anything above and beyond the major items is all negotiable. They can say no, but maybe they wouldn't mind doing a few items?

GeorgiaRiah

I would ask for whatever you like but don't expect them to fix anything.  It doesn't sound like anything terribly major to me. 

 

HarleyKins

The home was classified "as is" when listed and you agreed. You can infact ASK for credit at closing or have them repair items (did offer give seller the right to cure?). Chances of them being able to fork any money out for repairs sounds unlikely. Was it priced aggressively to reflect these items?

Also, based on past experience with working with as is homes as an REA, the more you ask for the lender may ask for the inspection report and this can open another can of worms regarding loan funding. Just an FYI.

vpine

We bought short-sale house 'as is' and there were so many things to be repaired that appeared on Inspection Report, the seller would not do repairs, he did pay for home warranty which is useless (it's $60/call for EACH item on our list). We did ask for $5,000 of closing costs and seller wanted to negotiate amount but we didn't budge, in the end he signed/agreed to $5,000 closing costs.

Brewtowngrl

Everything but the sidewalk is easy and inexpensive to fix.  You are seriously looking at about $1000 for all of it, but the sidewalk so I would just be thankful there was nothing more pricey.  You can't negotiate for the sidewalk since you put in the offer and could see that it was in need to repair. You didn't need an inspector to tell you it needed work.  Let it go.  

Callmefia

I think the GFI and sidewalk issues are probably "safety risks" - maybe even the garage door. The rest of it would be too much to ask for.

I wouldn't bother asking or spending your own money on the window unit. Save up and get it fixed/patched later on. I think garbage disposals are cheap and it doesn't pose any risk/safety issues. Let those ones go for sure.

Our contract (OH) stated that the house was AS IS after our inspection clause. We were able to negotiate repairs based on inspection and after that was over, it was AS IS.

 

Amberley18

davisislands:

It's AS IS. You are correct, you are not entitled to any of those things and should not ask. You knew going into the house it was "as is". If you don't want to pay for those repairs, you should not look at "as is" homes, simply put. If I was the seller I would be offended and feel that you're wasting my time.

I do not agree with this at all.

If any of the items are deemed as safety hazards or would possibly limit the ability to get a loan, you CAN and should ask. I did, and my "as-is" home ended up covering the complete replacement of 1 of two furnaces, fixing the hazardous wiring of the garbage disposal, and fixing broken window locks.

Unless you were in a multiple offer situation, ASK for the repairs. The worst they can say is no.

islandmonkey8

I'm also buying in NJ, to the best of my knowledge ALL NJ contacts read as is. Mine did and we asked for repairs and in the end got a reduced sale price from the seller instead (they were already giving us a seller credit for closing costs and FHA wouldn't allow for another credit so instead they reduced the sale price and are giving a closing cost credit). I'd ask for some but not all of your requests and see if you can at least get a credit instead. It won't hurt anything.  If I were you I'd ask for the sidewalk before the gfi outlets because gfi outlets aren't that expensive. I wouldn't probably worry about the garbage disposal, but if it is included with the sale I would because everything included should be in working order.