How Should I Respond to a Buyer's Repair Request After the Inspection in Carmel Valley?
Seller Resources | Felicia Lewis Group | Carmel Valley (92130)
The first thing to understand is that you are not required to respond at all. In California, a seller has no legal obligation to agree to repairs, offer credits, or even reply to a buyer's request for repair. That said, how you respond, or choose not to respond, has real consequences for whether your transaction holds together, and the right approach depends heavily on what is being asked and where your leverage sits.
What Are Your Options When You Receive a Repair Request?
When a buyer submits a repair request, you generally have three paths. You can agree to complete some or all of the repairs before closing, you can offer a credit at closing in lieu of work, or you can decline and let the buyer decide whether to proceed. Credits are often the cleaner option because they remove the risk of contractor delays or workmanship disputes before closing. Declining entirely is a viable strategy in a strong market, particularly when the requests are cosmetic or the buyer is otherwise highly motivated, but it carries the risk of the buyer exercising their inspection contingency and canceling. Understanding the difference between items that are likely to surface again on a future buyer's inspection and items that are genuinely negotiable is key to calibrating your response.
Does the Type of Repair Request Change Your Strategy?
The nature of the request matters as much as the strategy. Safety and habitability items tend to carry more weight than wear and tear. A buyer asking you to address a roof leak is a different conversation than a buyer asking for paint touch-ups and new weatherstripping. Felicia Lewis advises sellers through repair negotiations with a clear-eyed read on what is reasonable to push back on, what is worth conceding to protect the deal, and how to respond in a way that keeps the buyer engaged without setting a precedent for continued negotiating.
Felicia Lewis, Team Lead | Broker Associate
Felicia Lewis Group | 858.876.8565 | felicialewisgroup.com
