You’ve found your dream house. Your offer was accepted and things are moving along smoothly—until the inspection, that is.

The reality is that even the best-kept houses will have some flaws, especially in older homes. With this fact in mind, sellers may be willing to fix these issues with the right negotiating.

In addition to cosmetic issues, an inspector may point out problems that could give pause to a mortgage lender. This means the lender might deem the home unsafe and refuse to fund the mortgage until repairs are made. Many sellers will make such repairs to ensure the purchase goes through or work with the buyer to share the cost.

“Let’s say a home inspection finds the roof needs to be replaced soon. The seller probably didn’t know that, and more importantly the buyer wasn’t expecting to buy a house with a new roof,” said Jim Moran, real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Morris in Bend.

“Some may think the seller needs to pay for a whole new roof, but the reasonable thing to do would be to split the cost between buyer and seller.”

The outcome of that successful resolution would be that the buyer gets a new roof at half price and the seller gets half off an expensive repair.

“This applies to a lot of issues in negotiating who pays for what,” said Moran. “That said, the buyers and sellers need to buy in to this before the negotiations begin so that the head butting is kept to a minimum.”

But what about the smaller issues—repairs that wouldn’t necessarily delay a mortgage loan?

“Small things are just that . . . small things,” said Moran. “You’re not buying a new house.”

Buyers may wish to handle minor or cosmetic repairs on their own after closing. That way they can enhance features, change colors, and the like within their own time frame.

For instance, if a cracked tile countertop in the guest bathroom is bugging you, plan on replacing it yourself rather than adding it to a long list of repair requests, which could ultimately irritate the seller.

Inspectors rarely—if ever—call out cosmetic issues as a genuine concern and are more likely to note health and safety items like faulty wiring or out-dated plumbing.

Larger repairs that pose health and safety issues shouldn’t be a surprise if the listing broker has done a thorough pre-listing walk-through with the seller, noted Moran. This gives the seller an opportunity to address major problems before a buyer comes along with an inspector.

More complex issues like electrical or plumbing repairs are best handled by a professional to ensure that the job is done right. Hiring a professional can also be helpful if a repair escalates beyond what the problem was originally thought to be.

Keep in mind, however, that waiting on a licensed contractor to complete repairs may pose a timing problem.

“Currently in Bend, it’s no secret that tradespeople are difficult to find sometimes and in short supply,” said Moran.

“Scheduling the work can conflict with escrow closing dates. Escrow can hold back funds for repairs and that can create a whole can of worms, especially if a lender is involved,” said Moran.

Another option for the buyer is asking the seller for a repair allowance at closing rather than having the seller coordinate and pay for the work. For example, it’s not uncommon for the buyer to ask for a “carpet allowance” of a few thousand dollars to pay for new carpeting in the home. If both agree on such an arrangement, the closing can proceed along the lender’s timeline and the repairs can still be made on the buyer’s end rather than the seller’s.

Reasonable expectations on the part of both the buyer and the seller, as well as a willingness to compromise, are key to a successful real estate transaction.

“It’s really important to set seller and buyer expectations up front. Not doing so is a recipe for blowing a deal,” said Moran.