What Is Reasonable to Ask For After a Home Inspection

The general framework

Most agents and experienced buyers sort findings into three tiers when deciding what to negotiate.

Reasonable to ask for: Items that affect safety, structural integrity, or the function of major systems. These include things like faulty wiring, active roof leaks, water intrusion, HVAC systems that aren't functioning, plumbing defects, and foundation concerns. If the finding would affect a lender's willingness to approve the loan, it's a strong candidate for your request.

Worth discussing: Items in the gray area. An aging roof with a few years of life left. A water heater past its expected lifespan but still working. An electrical panel that's outdated but functional. These aren't emergencies, but they affect your budget, and depending on your leverage, they may be worth raising — especially if there are several of them.

Better left off the list: Cosmetic issues, normal wear for the home's age, routine maintenance items, and minor findings. A cracked outlet cover, peeling caulk, a missing downspout extender, scuffed floors. Asking the seller to address these signals that you may not be serious about closing, and it can derail an otherwise productive negotiation.

Why a short list works better than a long one

Sellers respond better to a focused request. When a buyer submits a 20-item repair list, many sellers read it as either fear or a negotiation tactic — and neither interpretation helps you.

A request with two to five well-documented items, each tied to safety, structure, or major systems, communicates something different: that you've done your homework, you understand what matters, and you want to close.

If you need help sorting your findings by priority, we have a separate guide for that.

How market conditions affect what's reasonable

Your leverage matters. In a market where sellers have multiple offers, asking for a long list of concessions may prompt them to move on to the next buyer. In a market with fewer competing offers, you have more room to negotiate.

Your agent is the best person to advise on this, because they know local market dynamics. A reasonable ask in one market may be an overreach in another.

That said, safety and structural items are fair to raise in any market. A seller who refuses to address active water intrusion or faulty wiring is signaling something worth paying attention to.

What sellers typically agree to

While every transaction is different, sellers commonly agree to address or provide credit for:

Safety hazards. Missing smoke or CO detectors, GFCI outlets not installed where required, exposed wiring, gas line concerns. These are often inexpensive to fix and hard to refuse.

Major system failures. An HVAC system that isn't heating or cooling, a roof with active leaks, plumbing that doesn't function. If the system isn't doing its job, that's a reasonable ask.

Structural concerns. Active foundation movement, significant settling, compromised load-bearing elements. These carry enough weight that most sellers acknowledge them.

Water intrusion. Evidence of active leaks, poor drainage affecting the foundation, moisture issues in crawlspaces or basements. Water damage compounds over time, and sellers know that future buyers will flag the same issues.

What sellers usually push back on

End-of-life systems that still work. A 15-year-old water heater that functions fine, an HVAC unit that's old but operational, a roof with wear but no active leaks. Sellers often view these as known conditions reflected in the price. You can raise them, but expect negotiation rather than full concessions.

Cosmetic and maintenance items. Paint, landscaping, minor caulking, worn carpet. Unless these items create a safety or habitability concern, sellers rarely agree to address them.

Code compliance upgrades. Older homes often have systems that met code when installed but don't meet current standards. Unless a lender requires the upgrade, sellers may resist being asked to modernize systems that have been functioning for decades.

How to frame the request

Work with your agent to draft a clear, concise repair request or credit request. Include:

• A description of each item
• A reference to where it appears in the inspection report
• The reason it's being raised (safety, structural, function)
• Whether you're asking for a repair, a credit, or either

If you have estimates from contractors or specialists, include those. Concrete numbers make credit requests easier for sellers to evaluate and harder to dismiss.

Deciding whether to ask for repairs or a credit is its own question — we cover that separately.

What if the seller says no?

It happens. Some sellers list as-is and mean it. Others have limited funds. If the seller declines your request, you have three options: accept the home as-is (factoring repair costs into your budget), make a counteroffer that meets somewhere in the middle, or exercise your inspection contingency and walk away.

Walking away is always an option during your contingency window, and sometimes it's the right one. If the findings are serious and the seller won't engage, protecting yourself is more important than protecting the deal.

For a structured approach to evaluating your findings, cost ranges, and negotiation strategy, InspectionTriage's Decision Packet organizes everything into a format you and your agent can act on — including a Negotiation Playbook with ask/settlement ranges for your top items. See what’s worth negotiating — free.