Question:
“I’d like to make an offer on a house. I want to put in that it’s subject to the seller making any necessary repairs. And…”
Answer:
Hold on. I’m already seeing problems.
First of all, “necessary repairs” is extremely vague. “Necessary” according to whom? When I receive offers on my sellers’ homes with vague terms, I either clarify or eliminate them. Vagueness in contracts leads to disagreements and lawsuits.
Second, no seller with a good agent or who understands real estate contracts would accept such a broad and subjective clause with potentially unlimited expense.
Since what you’re proposing is so problematic, let’s look at how it’s typically handled:
The standard contract gives you the right to inspect the home and request the seller make repairs of your choosing. Then you and the seller, through your agents, negotiate what the seller will and will not do.
If you don’t reach agreement, then you don’t buy the home.
I’m not saying it’s a perfect system. But it’s the better than ending up in court.
