What You'll Need
- Your full inspection report (digital copy you can annotate or highlight)
- A spreadsheet or even a notebook to sort findings
- Access to your purchase agreement, specifically your inspection contingency deadline
- Phone numbers for 2-3 local contractors (roofer, electrician, plumber are the big three)
- Your agent's direct line
- A realistic idea of what you can live with and what you cannot
Step 1: Read the Entire Report Without Reacting
This sounds obvious. Almost nobody does it.
Most buyers read the summary page, see a list of 12 items flagged as "deficient," and immediately start panicking. Or they jump to the section about the roof because that is the one thing they were worried about. They miss the context that ties everything together.
Read the whole thing. Start to finish. Don't highlight. Don't make lists. Don't text your parents. Just read.
The reason is that individual findings mean different things depending on what surrounds them. A note about "evidence of past moisture" near a basement window sounds alarming. But if the inspector also noted that the window was recently replaced and there is no active moisture or staining, it is probably resolved. You need the full picture before you start reacting.
Step 2: Sort Findings Into Three Buckets
Go through the report a second time. This time, sort every flagged item into one of three groups.
Bucket 1: Safety and Structural
These are your priority items. Anything that could injure someone, damage the house, or violate code belongs here.
Examples: cracked heat exchanger, knob-and-tube wiring still active, foundation wall bowing inward, missing GFCI protection in bathrooms, water heater venting into the garage without proper separation. According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, safety defects should be prioritized above all other findings because they present immediate risk to occupants.
These items are the core of your negotiation. They are hard for sellers to dismiss because no reasonable person argues against fixing a gas leak.
Bucket 2: Expensive But Not Dangerous
Systems that work but are near the end of their life. The 19-year-old AC unit that ran fine during the inspection but could die next summer. The roof with 3-5 years left. Aging windows with broken seals.
You might include one or two of these in your request for leverage, but they are not your lead argument. Sellers can reasonably say "it works today" and they are not wrong.
Bucket 3: Minor and Cosmetic
Leave these out. Missing switch plate covers, dripping faucets, cracked caulk around the tub, nail pops in drywall. Every house has this stuff. Asking for it weakens your entire request because it signals that you are looking for reasons to nickle-and-dime the seller.
One of the most common mistakes buyers make is including a $15 fix alongside a $6,000 fix. It makes the $6,000 item seem less serious by association.
Step 3: Attach Numbers to Your Top Items
Dollar amounts change negotiations. "The electrical panel is a concern" gets a shrug. "Replacing the Federal Pacific panel will cost $3,200 based on an estimate from Davis Electric" gets attention.
For each Bucket 1 item (and any Bucket 2 items you plan to include), get a number. There are a few ways to do this depending on how much time you have.
Option A: Contractor Estimates
Best case. Call a licensed contractor, explain you are buying a house and need a ballpark for negotiation purposes. Many will give you a phone estimate based on the inspection report and photos. Some will do a free site visit if they think they might get the job later.
A written estimate from a licensed professional is the strongest evidence you can attach to a repair request. The seller's agent can push back on your opinion, but pushing back on a contractor's written quote is harder.
Option B: Online Cost Data
If you cannot get a contractor on the phone in time, use reputable cost databases. HomeAdvisor, Angi, and the RSMeans database all provide regional cost estimates. These are less persuasive than a contractor's quote, but they are better than no number at all.
Frame it this way in your request: "Based on regional cost data from HomeAdvisor, roof replacement for a 1,800-square-foot home in this market averages $9,200-$12,500."
Option C: Inspector's General Guidance
Some inspectors will give you rough cost context if you ask. They cannot provide formal estimates (that is not their role), but an experienced inspector knows what things cost because they see the aftermath of every repair. If yours offers context, use it as a starting point for your research.
Step 4: Pick 3-5 Items Maximum
This is where discipline matters.
Your inspection report might flag 25 things. Your Bucket 1 list might have 8 items. You still want to limit your formal request to the top 3-5.
Why? Two reasons. First, sellers get defensive when they see a long list. It feels like an attack. They dig in and reject everything instead of engaging with the substance. A 2023 National Association of Realtors report found that repair requests with fewer than five items were resolved successfully 78% of the time, compared to 54% for requests with ten or more items.
Second, a focused request signals that you are reasonable. You are not trying to get the house for free. You are identifying the things that genuinely matter and asking for help with those specific issues. Reasonable requests get reasonable responses.
Pick your highest-priority, highest-cost items. Let the small stuff go.
Step 5: Decide Between Credits and Repairs for Each Item
For each item on your list, decide whether you want the seller to fix it or give you money.
When to Ask for a Credit
Credits are usually better. You pick the contractor. You control the quality. You set the timeline. And sellers are more likely to agree because writing a check is easier than coordinating repairs on a house they are trying to leave.
Ask for credits when the issue is not immediately dangerous, when you have cash reserves to cover the work after closing, and when quality matters to you.
When to Ask for the Repair
Sometimes you need the work done before closing. If your lender requires it (common with FHA and VA loans), if the issue is a safety hazard that makes the house unlivable, or if you simply do not have the cash to handle it after closing, ask the seller to fix it.
Be specific. "Seller to hire a licensed electrician to replace the Federal Pacific panel with a 200-amp panel and provide a permit and paid receipt" is enforceable. "Fix the electrical" is not.
Step 6: Write Your Request Clearly
Your agent will handle the formal paperwork, but you should provide clear direction on what goes into the request. For each item include:
- A reference to the specific page or section of the inspection report
- A plain-language description of the problem
- Whether you want a repair or a credit
- The dollar amount (if requesting a credit)
- Documentation you expect (receipts, permits, before/after photos)
Example: "Per inspection report page 14, section 4.2: the water heater exhaust vent is improperly connected and poses a carbon monoxide risk. Buyer requests seller to hire a licensed plumber to correct the venting and provide a paid receipt and permit documentation prior to closing."
That leaves nothing to interpretation.
Step 7: Submit and Wait (Without Losing Your Mind)
Your agent sends the request. Then you wait. Typically 2-4 days for a response, though it can vary.
The seller will do one of three things: accept everything (rare but it happens), reject everything (also uncommon unless you overreached), or counter with partial acceptance.
Most negotiations land on a counter. The seller might agree to fix two of your three items and offer a credit for the third at a lower amount than you requested. This is normal. It is how the process works.
Before You Respond to the Counter
Go back to your priorities. Which items are true deal-breakers? Which ones could you absorb the cost on? If the seller agrees to replace the electrical panel and fix the roof flashing but only offers $1,500 of your $3,000 HVAC credit request, is that enough?
Know these answers before you get the counter. Figuring it out in the moment while your agent is on the phone and the deadline is tomorrow leads to emotional decisions.
Step 8: Verify Everything Before Closing
If the seller agreed to make repairs, verify the work.
Request receipts. Check permits. If the repair was significant (roof, electrical panel, plumbing), schedule a reinspection. Yes, this costs another $100-200. But catching a bad repair before closing is worth far more than discovering it after the house is yours.
If you took credits, verify the amounts on your closing disclosure. Credits should appear as line items reducing your cash to close. If the numbers do not match what was agreed upon in writing, flag it immediately.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Sending a list of everything: A 15-item request gets tossed in the trash. Prioritize ruthlessly.
- Being vague: "Address the plumbing issues" gives the seller every reason to do the absolute minimum. Specify what, who, and how.
- Missing your deadline: Your inspection contingency has a clock. If you blow past it, you lose leverage and possibly your earnest money deposit. Check your contract.
- Negotiating through emotion: The house is not trying to hurt you. The seller is not your enemy. Stay focused on the numbers and the facts.
- Forgetting to verify: Trust but verify. Sellers who agree to repairs sometimes hire the cheapest person they can find or skip the work entirely.
What to Expect Overall
The negotiation usually wraps up within a week. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower if either party drags their feet.
According to the National Association of Realtors, roughly 86% of transactions survive the inspection negotiation phase. Most buyers and sellers find a middle ground. But that also means about 14% of deals fall apart here. If your inspection reveals something truly severe and the seller will not budge, walking away might be the right call.
That is not failure. That is the inspection contingency doing its job.