Tell them you will replace "safety issues".

Are you sure the fan is venting to the outside and not the attic? And what is a dryer vent code?

I don't know if this is what the inspector was talking about but we recently went through this when replacing the dryer for an elderly friend. The installer said that the plastic accordion type vent thingy couldn't be used for long runs because it was a fire hazard and that for long runs to the outside vent the dryer had to be ducted with aluminum duct.

I agree with Cordovamom on the dryer vent. We had to replace our dryer vent when we moved in - our home inspector didn't say anything about code, but I believe with certain kinds of venting, turns can cause a fire hazard because the lint can collect. Regardless, ours was an easy fix.

RMHartos, it seems there were very minor issues with your house. You could probably fix most of that for next to nothing. You're dealing with first time home buyers that really know nothing about a house. They are relying on their home inspector to educate them. It sure doesnt sound like they are being very demanding. In the big scheme of things, these are minor issues. Did you really expect them to come back and say, "the house is perfect" we'll take it? (18 years in the business, not one perfect house yet, not even new construction)

Anyway...shoulc I Just make the 'enhancements' or tell them to f' off. Sorry, but I'm annoyed.

Make the repairs or at least some of them if thats what your area allows. The aggravation you go thru waiting for another buyer, showing your house, keeping it in "for sale" condition, then having to go thru another inspection when a whole bunch of other stuff could come up isnt worth it. Especially when you received an offer for $10,000 off of list price.

All of them with the exception of 3, your second #4 and possibly 6 sounds like health and safety issues which should be taken care of by the seller.

If you are not sure, got to your local building dept and talk to the building inspectors. Some Home Inspectors are not the most knowleable. Then you can counter-offer with proof.

Not for nothing I think that sometimes people feel they have to make up a reason as to why you are paying them. Some of those listed items are just dumb. WHat would they say if you replaced the "yellow" pipe with a blue one? And what does the garage door plug have to do with anything? I am lost. Crazy people drive me crazy. Do you like the house? No major issues? Then buy it. The end.

Potable water uses CPVC piping, which has a yellow tint, not PVC, which is white, but not approved for potable water. Of course the piping under the sink is "yellow"! Have them look up the plumbing code if they don't believe you.

Are you 100% sure that the vents don't terminate inside the attic. THis isn't unheard of, and it's a huge problem if that's the case. Moisture rots out houses, and moisture pouring into the attic could have caused all kinds of hidden mold problems. The roof penetrations over the bathroom might be the plumbing vents, not the fan vents. Turn on the vents, get a ladder and inspect for yourself.

Give them the name and # of the window manufacturer. It's possible that the broken seal that's allowing moisture infiltration is covered under the window's warranty. And, if it's not, then they can find out for themselves the reccomended fix.

Dryer vents made from plastic have been outlawed for a long time now. In many places, there have been enough house fires from dryers that the lightweight flexduct isn't even allowed. Most places allow the use of semi rigid aluminum duct. Or, your locale could be one that only allows smooth walled vent piping to be used. This is another safety issue that I as a buyer would be very concerned about. CHeck with your codes official about what is required and fix it to specs. If the flex aluminum duct or semi rigid duct is allowed, then it's a $10 fix. If the requirements are more stringent, it'll be a bit more costly, but it'd be worth it from a safety aspect. Dryer duct fires are a real possiblity, and that's all they are trying to elminate here.

If it's a knothole stain bleeding through paint, then the wood wasn't primed properly and it eventually may not hold up. Buy a quart of shellac based primer, spot prime, and recoat if that's the issue. If paint grade trim was used and stained, it's possible that the stain took blotchily. If that's the case, there really isn't much fixing it at this stage other than painting.

If the garage door opener is connected via an extension cord, that is a BIG safety violation and a new electric outlet close enough to the opener needs to be added so that an extension cord isn't necessary. Extension cords are for temporary use only and are NOT approved for permanant installation. This is definately one safety issue that I'm big time on board with the buyer about.

If the footing isn't concrete, then what the heck is it? Footings have to be dug to below frost line and be concrete of a sufficient strength to support the structure. If they're big enough, they need wire and rebar reinforcement. THat's a pretty basic construction issue, even if your codes inspector missed it. This also is a big safety issue and it needs correcting.

Don't get PO'd because the inspector noticed the problems. Get PO'd at the contractors who did the shoddy work in the first place. Then, get real, because you actually DO have a buyer. You're one of the lucky ones right now. And, you should do that simple worklist quite happily because you know you'll soon be at the closing stage while others time on market just ticks away. My girlfriend finally sold after 400 days on market, and with a bunch of price drops and a list a lot longer and more involved than yours for another nervous nellie first time buyer. BUt, she sucked it up and did it all, because she really needed to get out from under 2 mortgages. You'll do the same if you really do need to sell your house. Because a buyer with a real offer in a buyers market can demand a whole lot more than that. And, most would give it to them just to be able to sell.

"Don't get PO'd because the inspector noticed the problems. Get PO'd at the contractors who did the shoddy work in the first place. Then, get real, because you actually DO have a buyer. You're one of the lucky ones right now. And, you should do that simple worklist quite happily because you know you'll soon be at the closing stage while others time on market just ticks away. My girlfriend finally sold after 400 days on market, and with a bunch of price drops and a list a lot longer and more involved than yours for another nervous nellie first time buyer. BUt, she sucked it up and did it all, because she really needed to get out from under 2 mortgages. You'll do the same if you really do need to sell your house. Because a buyer with a real offer in a buyers market can demand a whole lot more than that. And, most would give it to them just to be able to sell."

This is the BEST advice you're going to get! We are at 48 DOM and would give anything for a buyer who wants minor repairs made!! Suck it up and do it. Whatever you do--do not make your buyers feel stupid or you'll lose them for sure.

I get irritated about things too so I'm not going to tell you not to be - however - I do agree with the suck up it and go ahead and sell the house comment. Keep the irritation to yourself. Can you offer credits for repairs and then be done with it? The dryer vent and deck stair footing seem to be the only costly repairs. Maybe the fogging window. At least counter.
I too would love to have an offer.

All that said I have seen comments here relating to how some people nickel and dime the whole process to death and then walk - meanwhile effectively taking your house off the market for awhile - I would try to come up with a feeling of whether they are really serious if these things get done and two if you aren't sure whether they are "real" buyers or not saying you are willing to take care of these and continue to negotiate toward closing but the house isn't coming off the market (can you do that? I'm not sure?)

I had all my "broken seal" windows replace for about $100 each. The glass company said they do a lot of them.

I recently had a similar experience. My first time buyer made 6 "silly" requests. They were silly to me, but probably important to her. I agreed to all because they were very minor and easy to fix, and I wanted to sell the house.

Definitely check on the bath exhaust and dryer vents. I agree with others that say suck it up and make the important repairs. You always have to option to counter the request but keep in mind that you may not get another buyer if this one walks.

live wire oak is, IMO, on the money. Some of these issues are indeed safety issues and/or defects...and should be corrected.

Any issues that seem odd should be questioned and more definitive info should be supplied. Case in point...does the report state the pipe must be replaced BECAUSE it is yellow...or, is there another reason and the color is just being used to identify the pipe in question?

HI's can make mistakes...but then again, so can buyers and sellers when it comes to understanding the issues found.

In addition, HIs often know things that buyers and sellers may not be aware ofÂ.which, once known, can make an otherwise odd recommendation make 100% sense.

Case in point, mhartos, does the fan vent pipe lead to the roofÂ..as you statedÂÂor, does it penetrate THROUGH the roof and vent outside?

If it just terminates inside the roof, which is VERY popular with many builders, as it saves them $$$, that is indeed a big problem for the reasons described above.

That is why it is always best to get the explanation behind the recommendationÂ...BEFORE assuming that it is frivolousÂand proceed from there in terms of making a decision.

"Downstairs bedroom window is fogged. (yes, I know, that's one of the small reasons I agreed to selling for 10k less) "

Did you disclose the downstairs window being fogged on the disclosure form? If yes, then many states disallowed that item from requiring to be fixed per the inspection, because the buyer knew about the item prior to the inspection and should have requested it to be fixed as part of the offer since known at that time.

if it was visibly fogged on their first visit, do you need to list it on a disclosure form?

(a note: not all localities require a disclosure form)

Boil the whole thing down to dollars and cents. What's it cost to fix everything on the list? $500? Are you willing to blow the deal over $500?

I agree on both ends, the list sounds silly, but after reading some comments, I can understand them.

I would suck up the pipe. Heck, I could replace that myself. We just had a leaky kitchen sink. BIL is a plumber, but it was taking time for him to get here. There were days when I was so tempted to try to fix it myself. He was out 2 weeks ago, it's done. 1 less thing for someone to find wrong with our house.

The fogged window - silly to me. They are buying a used house. We replaced 4 out of 8 windows. I really hope someone doesn't say they want 4 new windows

wood stain - another silly request to me, and why most of our wood is painted. When we listed my parents old house, the wood in some parts looked stained. Since I lived there all of my life, I knew it was the way they cut the wood they used.

garage door opener outlet - you'll probably have to do something about that, shouldn't be expensive

deck stair footing - I would find out about what the code is, and if it supposed to be different call the contractor back that did the work. Let him deal with it.

I wouldn't tell them to f' off. Your list as others have said is pretty small and cheap. Put a smile on your face that the house is sold and that the only thing they could come up with was minor.

I'll have to show hubby this post as there are 2 items on your list we may get hit with. Have to find out what the code is for us.

Update

After I cooled down, I went ahead and made all of the updates to the home with the exception of the bathroom fans as they go through the roof. I turned on both fans, got up on the roof, walked over to the vent and felt the air coming through. Here's the kicker...all of the repairs cost be around $500. The buyer came back yesterday and said don't worry about the repairs, just take $5,000 off of the price and I'll do it. Hmmm, I just fixed everything for $500 and you want $5000? Honestly, I'm in no rush to sell. I'll let them walk and take my home off the market and try again next year.

BTW, thank you all for the helpfull suggestions!

Did you tell them you fixed everything? Are they backing out now?

We did say that we fixed everything. Our realtor indicated that these people were very difficult. Even after we said everything had been fixed, they still threatened to cancel the purchase. Their buyers agent was fed up with them as well as she had shown them over 70 houses prior to ours. Well, we took $5,000 off the price, but not out of our pocket. Our agent and the buyers agent agreed to cut their comissions to cover the price reduction. Our house is in perfect condition...which no makes me mad ;) Anyone know where I can purchase some termites?

sheesh, if that is a difficult buyer, send me 100 of them.