15 Legitimate Repair Requests When Buying a Home

When buying a home, it’s important to have a thorough home inspection to identify potential issues or needed repairs. The perfect home doesn’t exist, not even a newly constructed one, but there’s a real difference between issues that are worth asking the seller to address and ones that aren’t. Understanding what counts as a legitimate repair request is crucial when you’re going back to negotiate.

Legitimate repair requests generally involve problems that affect a home’s safety, structural integrity, water tightness, major systems, or livability, things like active roof leaks, structural issues, electrical hazards, plumbing problems, mold, water damage, and HVAC failures. Cosmetic issues, normal wear and tear, and items the buyer already knew about are generally weaker requests. Let’s take a closer look.

Why Home Inspections Matter When Negotiating Repairs

Before getting into the 15 legitimate repair requests, it’s worth touching on why the inspection matters in the first place. A home inspection is a visual evaluation of a property conducted by a licensed inspector, meant to assess the home’s overall condition and flag potential issues or defects.

An inspector can uncover problems that aren’t visible to the untrained eye, structural issues, electrical or plumbing problems, safety hazards, and more. Our guide to common problems found during home inspections covers what tends to show up most often. The report gives buyers the information they need to make an informed decision, negotiate where it makes sense, and plan for future maintenance. Going in prepared helps too, our guide to questions to ask a home inspector covers what to ask before you hire one and after you get the report.

15 Home Inspection Repairs Buyers Should Consider Requesting

It’s essential to differentiate between legitimate repair requests and ones that are excessive or unreasonable. Here are 15 examples of what a buyer can reasonably expect a seller to address before closing, and why each one matters.

1. Roof Leaks
An active roof leak is one of the clearest legitimate repair requests there is. Water intrusion can damage the roof structure, insulation, ceilings, and drywall if it isn’t addressed. That said, a buyer doesn’t necessarily need to ask a seller to replace an entire roof just because it’s old, there’s an important difference between a roof with limited remaining life and a roof that’s actively leaking or no longer performing as intended.

2. Foundation Issues
Cracks, settling, or signs of structural movement in the foundation can affect the home’s safety and long-term value, and are worth requesting a repair or further evaluation for.

3. Compromised Load-Bearing Walls
Any sign that a load-bearing wall has been compromised, whether from prior renovation, water damage, or structural stress, is a safety issue worth addressing before closing.

4. Plumbing Problems
Active leaks, corroded pipes, or non-functioning fixtures fall squarely into legitimate territory, especially when they risk ongoing water damage if left alone.

5. Electrical Problems and Safety Hazards
Outdated panels, exposed wiring, or anything an inspector flags as a genuine safety hazard is worth requesting a repair for, separate from minor code-adjacent items that don’t pose real risk.

6. Mold
Mold is both a health concern and often a sign of an underlying moisture problem, making it a strong candidate for a repair request rather than something to overlook.

7. Water Damage
Active or recent water damage, as opposed to old, already-resolved staining, is worth addressing given its potential to affect structure, air quality, and future resale.

8. Sewage Problems
Backups, damaged sewer lines, or septic system failures are both a health hazard and a significant expense, making them a clearly legitimate request.

9. Pest Infestations and Pest Damage
Active termite activity, wood-destroying organisms, or rodent damage can compromise the structure over time and may warrant a repair request, treatment, or further evaluation. A general home inspector may note signs of activity without being qualified to confirm a live infestation or the full extent of the damage, which is often a job for a licensed WDO specialist.

10. Non-Operational Windows
Windows that won’t open, close, or lock properly are a functional and safety issue, distinct from windows that are simply older but still work fine.

11. Loose Handrails
A loose or unsecured handrail is a straightforward safety concern and a reasonable, inexpensive repair to request.

12. Broken Fencing
Damaged fencing, particularly around a pool or where it affects safety or security, is generally considered a legitimate request.

13. HVAC Issues
A system that isn’t functioning properly, not simply one that’s aging, is worth requesting a repair for. An older system that still cools and heats effectively is a different conversation.

14. Water Heater Issues
A leaking or non-functional water heater is a legitimate request. An older unit that’s still working normally usually isn’t automatically something the seller is obligated to replace.

15. Appliances in Need of Repair or Replacement
If appliances included in the sale aren’t functioning as represented, that’s generally fair to raise, particularly if their condition wasn’t disclosed upfront.

Are Sellers Required to Make Repairs After a Home Inspection?

Not necessarily. A home inspection report doesn’t automatically create a legal obligation for a seller to repair every defect, whether or not a seller is obligated to make a specific repair depends on the purchase contract, the inspection provisions used, and the nature of the problem.

This distinction matters especially in Florida, where the contract form and the specific inspection provisions in that contract can significantly affect the seller’s repair obligations. Florida Realtors offers a few standard residential contract forms, including “AS IS” and Standard versions, and each handles inspections and repairs differently.

Under the “AS IS” contract, the seller generally has no contractual obligation to make repairs simply because an inspection identifies problems. The buyer’s primary protection is the inspection period, during which the buyer may have the right to terminate the contract if the property is unacceptable and receive a return of their escrow deposit, provided the buyer follows the contract’s requirements and deadlines. The buyer can also try to negotiate a repair, credit, or price reduction, but the seller is generally free to decline.

Under the Standard contract, the seller may have specific obligations to repair or replace certain items identified during the inspection, subject to the contract’s definitions, deadlines, and repair limits, often a percentage of the purchase price unless negotiated otherwise. Even here, limited remaining life on something like a roof generally isn’t treated as a defect requiring replacement on its own, there needs to be an actual problem, not just age.

Either way, sellers generally have to disclose known material defects that aren’t readily observable. That disclosure duty exists separately from the seller’s contractual repair obligations. Contract specifics vary and this isn’t legal advice, so review your actual contract with your agent, and an attorney if something significant is in dispute.

Should You Ask for a Repair or a Replacement?

Buyers shouldn’t automatically demand a full replacement for something that’s simply aging. The distinction that usually matters is whether something is actively failing versus older but still functional:

Roof: an active leak is a legitimate concern; an old but watertight roof usually isn’t grounds for a replacement demand.
HVAC: a system that isn’t working properly is legitimate; an older system that still functions normally is a different conversation.
Water heater: a leaking or non-functional unit is legitimate; an older but working one usually isn’t automatically something the seller is obligated to replace.
Windows: broken or non-operational windows are a reasonable request; older but functioning windows are a much weaker one.

This lines up with how the repair vs. replacement distinction plays out in most Florida contracts too, remaining useful life on its own generally isn’t treated as a defect requiring replacement.

What Repairs Should Buyers Usually Not Request After a Home Inspection?

A home inspection report is not a repair checklist. Inspectors are doing their job when they document maintenance items and minor observations alongside genuine defects. It’s the buyer’s job to decide which findings actually warrant a negotiation. Trying to renegotiate over something cosmetic, or something you already knew about, rarely sets the stage for a smooth transaction, sellers tend to get frustrated and less cooperative when that happens. Here are a few examples of requests that generally don’t hold up.

Cosmetic Upgrades
Requests for purely cosmetic changes, like repainting a room or replacing perfectly functional but outdated fixtures or appliances for aesthetic reasons.

Normal Wear and Tear
Requests to address minor issues considered normal wear and tear, like small cracks in the driveway, worn carpeting, or a ding in the garage door.

Known Defects
Requests for repairs on issues that were already disclosed or known to the buyer when the offer was made, like pre-existing water stains or termite damage that should have already factored into the negotiated price.

Personal Preferences
Requests to change or remove features based on personal taste rather than a structural or functional concern, like removing a perfectly functional built-in bookshelf or swapping out flooring you simply don’t like.

Aging But Functional Components
Requests tied to the normal consequences of age or deferred maintenance on something that’s still working as intended, like a water heater or roof that’s simply getting older without an active problem.

How to Prioritize Your Repair Requests

Not every legitimate finding deserves equal attention. A rough hierarchy to work from:

Priority 1, safety and health: electrical hazards, mold, structural problems, unsafe railings
Priority 2, water intrusion: roof leaks, plumbing leaks, water damage, sewage problems
Priority 3, major systems: HVAC, water heater, electrical, plumbing
Priority 4, expensive repairs: items that could mean a substantial, unexpected cost shortly after closing
Priority 5, minor maintenance: the kind of thing most buyers should expect to handle themselves

Setting Realistic Expectations

Understanding legitimate repair requests matters, but it’s just as important to set realistic expectations going into negotiations. It’s unlikely a seller will agree to fix every minor issue or cosmetic imperfection, and some items don’t warrant a request even when they’d technically qualify as legitimate.

Focus your requests on issues that genuinely affect the home’s livability, safety, or long-term value, the kind of things the next buyer would likely raise too. Excessive requests risk alienating the seller and putting the whole transaction at risk, so prioritize what actually matters and negotiate for appropriate repairs or a repair credit.

Should You Ask for Repairs, a Credit, or a Price Reduction?

Once you’ve identified what’s legitimate, sellers generally have three ways to respond: complete the repair themselves, offer a credit toward the cost at closing, or adjust the purchase price. A credit is often simpler than having the seller coordinate the work, and it lets you choose your own contractor on your own timeline.

Our guide to negotiating repairs after a home inspection walks through how to weigh these options, get real contractor estimates, and put together a counter offer that actually gets a response.

Home Inspection Repair Requests Common in South Florida

A few common issues come up more often in South Florida homes specifically, worth keeping an eye out for regardless of the home’s age: roof condition given the sun and storm exposure, HVAC performance given how hard systems work here, water intrusion and moisture-related concerns, termite and WDO activity, older electrical systems in homes that haven’t been updated, window and door condition, and pool equipment where applicable.

None of these are automatically legitimate requests on their own, age and condition still matter, but they’re worth paying close attention to during your inspection given how common they are in this climate.

Final Thoughts

A home inspection report is not a repair checklist, and understanding the difference between a legitimate repair request and one that isn’t matters when you’re buying a home. Legitimate requests focus on issues that genuinely affect the home’s safety, structural integrity, or livability.

Non-legitimate requests tend to involve cosmetic items, normal wear and tear, or personal preferences. Knowing the difference, and understanding what your specific contract actually obligates the seller to do, makes buyers far more effective when it’s time to negotiate.

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About the Author

Top Wellington Realtor, Michelle Gibson, wrote: “15 Legitimate Repair Requests When Buying a Home”

Michelle has been specializing in residential real estate since 2001 throughout Wellington, Florida(opens in new tab), and the surrounding area. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or rent, she will guide you through the entire real estate transaction. If you’re ready to put Michelle’s knowledge and expertise to work for you, call or e-mail her today.

Areas of service include Wellington, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Greenacres, and more.

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