Short answerAsk for what matters: safety hazards, systems that are failing or close to it, active water problems, and anything your FHA, VA, or USDA lender will require. Leave out cosmetic items and normal wear the price already reflects. A short, priced, reasonable request gets a better answer than a list of everything on the report.
How do I sort the report?
Go through every item and put it in one of four piles.
| Pile | Examples | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Normal for the age | Older but working furnace, worn carpet, minor caulking, a few nail pops | Leave it off the request. Budget for it. |
| Negotiate | Missing GFCI protection, open junction boxes, water heater discharge pipe, loose handrails, active small leaks, gutters dumping at the foundation | Ask for repair or a credit. |
| Get a specialist | Bowing basement wall, possible aluminum wiring, older panel, possible heat exchanger crack, roof with little life left, sewer line concerns | Schedule now so you have an answer before your deadline. |
| Consider walking away | Major structural movement, a house that will not meet your loan's property rules at a fixable cost, problems the seller will not let you investigate | Talk it through with your agent before the deadline passes. |
More on the difference between these: safety issue, material defect, or maintenance item.
What is reasonable to ask for?
- Safety items. Electrical hazards, missing handrails, gas or carbon monoxide concerns, a water heater relief valve without a discharge pipe.
- Failing systems. A furnace that does not heat, an active roof leak, a well pump that cannot keep pressure.
- Water. Active leaks and water getting into the basement or crawlspace.
- Lender required repairs. Anything your FHA, VA, or USDA appraisal will condition the loan on, like peeling paint on a house built before 1978. What those appraisers flag.
- Things the price did not account for. If the listing called the roof new and it is not, that is fair to raise.
Things that usually weaken a request: cosmetic items, things you could see at the showing, and normal aging the price already reflects.
Should I ask for repairs, a credit, or a lower price?
| Option | Works best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Seller repairs | The repair is required by your lender or is a safety item that must be done before you move in | You do not choose the contractor. Ask for receipts and licensed trades where required. |
| Closing cost credit | You want to choose the contractor and the repair can wait until after closing | Lenders limit how much the seller can credit, and the limit depends on the loan type. Ask your lender before you ask the seller. |
| Price reduction | The issue affects value more than cash at closing, or a credit would exceed your lender's limit | It lowers your loan amount and payment, not your cash to close by much. |
More detail: repairs, credit, or price reduction.
How does the request work in an Indiana deal?
Your purchase agreement sets the inspection deadline and how a repair request is made and answered. In many Indiana deals, the buyer submits a written inspection response, the seller answers within the time the contract allows, and either side may have the right to end the deal if they cannot agree. Read your own contract for the exact steps and deadlines, and ask your agent or a real estate attorney if anything is unclear. How contingency deadlines work.
How do I make the request land?
- Lead with the few items that matter most.
- Put a number on each one. A planning range from a contractor carries more weight than "fix it."
- Attach the specialist's report for anything big.
- Offer a credit option for items the seller would rather not manage.
- Keep the tone factual. The seller is deciding whether to work with you, not whether you are right.
What do common repairs cost?
| Item | Planning estimate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GFCI or AFCI protection | $120 to $400 per location | W |
| Electrical panel replacement, 100 to 150 amp | $1,400 to $2,400 | W |
| Aluminum wiring connector repair, whole house | $2,000 to $8,000 | P |
| Water heater replacement, 40 gallon tank | $1,490 to $1,860 | W |
| Furnace replacement | $3,800 to $7,500 | W |
| Furnace and air conditioner together | $8,500 to $14,500 | W |
| Roof replacement, asphalt shingle | About $5,600 to $19,400 in Indiana, averaging about $7,400 | P |
| Grading and gutter correction | $500 to $5,000 grading; $1,200 to $4,500 seamless gutters | W |
| Basement interior drain tile and sump system | $3,000 to $7,000 | P |
| Radon mitigation system | $800 to $2,000 | P |
| Sewer line replacement, open trench | $80 to $180 per foot | P |
| Septic tank pumping | $250 to $500 | P |
| Well pump replacement | $1,200 to $3,000 | P |
W means Wardmark Property Operations pricing dated June to September 2026. P means published Indiana cost estimates gathered November 2026 (This Old House, AskDoss, Indiana radon cost guides, Summers Plumbing Heating and Cooling, NeedSeptic, AJ Long Electric). Local contractors may price differently.
Then confirm the work: how to verify repairs before closing. The seller's side of this same moment is here: how sellers respond to a repair request.
What John sees in the field
The requests that get a yes are short and priced. Five items with real numbers beat thirty items with none, and the seller's agent can actually take them to the seller.
If a big item needs a specialist, I would rather see the buyer spend $400 on an engineer during the inspection period than guess at a $15,000 credit.
Frequently asked questions
Can the seller refuse to fix anything?
Yes. A repair request is a negotiation. Your contract spells out what happens next if you cannot agree, which may include the right to end the deal within the deadline.
Can I ask for cosmetic repairs?
You can, but it usually weakens the request. Save your leverage for safety, water, failing systems, and lender required items.
Is a credit better than repairs?
Often, because you choose the contractor. But lenders limit seller credits and a credit does not fix lender required repairs. Ask your lender first.
What if my lender requires a repair the seller will not make?
The loan may not close until it is done. Talk with your agent and lender right away about options, such as a repair escrow where the lender allows one.
Should I share the inspection report with the seller?
That is your choice. The report belongs to you. Many buyers share only the pages that support their request.
Keep reading
Looking at a house and not sure what you are getting into?
Ask for a free Before You Offer review. Send me the listing. I look over the photos, the seller's disclosure, and recent sales, then flag likely condition issues and planning cost ranges before you write an offer.
Request a Before You Offer reviewOr call or text (812) 525-5489, or email [email protected].
The Before You Offer review is a REALTOR® and contractor review of the listing, not a home inspection. It is for buyers who are not already working with an agent. If you have an agent, please bring these questions to your agent.
Written by John Long, REALTOR®, 1 Percent Lists Indiana Real Estate. Working contractor who has priced hundreds of home inspection repair requests. Former labor relations negotiator for a major manufacturer and U.S. Coast Guard veteran.
John Long, REALTOR® · 1 Percent Lists Indiana Real Estate · (812) 525-5489 · yourpropertynegotiator.com
This page is general information, not a substitute for a professional home inspection, and not legal, tax, insurance, or lending advice. Ask a real estate attorney about contracts and disclosure, a CPA about taxes, your lender about loan rules, and a licensed inspector or tradesperson about your house. Nothing here guarantees a sale price, net proceeds, repair cost, payment, timeline, appraisal, inspection result, or loan approval. Cost figures are planning estimates, not bids. I own Wardmark Property Operations LLC, a contracting company. You are always free to use any contractor you choose.