Six Surprising Requests You Can Make When Negotiating for a House

If you’ve ever hunted for a house, you know that it can be a long, involved process. While a lot of that time is taken up just finding the right house, another big chunk of that time is taken up by the negotiation.

Most people focus on the price of the home, which makes sense—it’s a huge purchase for most people, so getting the price right is crucial—but you can negotiate for a lot more than that. You may already know that you can (and should) ask for repairs or financial credits if the inspection reveals problems, but it never hurts to ask for concessions or contingencies that can make your new home more appealing, comfortable, and affordable in the long run. Here are six requests you should consider adding to your offer when you buy your next house.

Professional cleaning

Moving house is a dirty business—and so is living in a house. Even the cleanest people probably don’t deep clean their houses on a regular basis, and moving furniture and appliances after they’ve sat collecting dust and grime for years will reveal a lot of dirt. If you don’t want to inherit the accumulated filth of someone else’s life, you can ask that the sellers be required to have the house professionally cleaned (at their expense) before you move in. It will be one less thing you have to worry about.

Free home warranty

We all try our best to perform due diligence before buying a house. We walk through it, test out the water pressure and the wiring. We have a professional inspection done (usually). We check the permit history to see if there have been major problems. But it’s still very common for people to encounter major repairs after they move into a new home.

That doesn’t mean the sellers are hiding something, of course; major aspects of a home can seem perfectly fine until the moment they fail. For a little peace of mind, you can request that the sellers pay for a home warranty plan for a year to insure you a little against unforeseen problems. Home warranties aren’t always great deals, but if you’re not paying for it, a warranty is a win-win.

Extended contingencies

Something you should probably always request when buying a house are contingencies against damage from insects and termites—even if they were noted in an inspection (or disclosed by the seller) and mitigated. This sort of damage can sometimes be more widespread than initially suspected, and can take a long time to manifest. Plus, bugs can make a return appearance even if the mitigation was thorough.

If the home has disclosed infestations or you have any reason to suspect there’s a threat, ask the seller to purchase a termite bond or warranty or pest control contract for a period of time—six months to a year, for example—to insure yourself against hidden problems.

A chunk of HOA fees

If you’re buying a house covered by a homeowners association (HOA), you can ask that the seller pay the first six months or year of fees. A lot of folks are a little cash poor after buying a house, so getting a short cushion on those fees can give you a little more breathing room as you rebuild your emergency fund and get a handle on the expenses involved in owning a house.

Furniture, appliances, or other stuff you want

The general rule of thumb when buying a house is that stuff that’s permanently attached to the property—like kitchen cabinets, storage sheds, landscaping, or towel racks—is included in the sale unless the seller makes a special arrangement to take it with them. The easiest way to envision this is to imagine picking up the house, turning it upside-down, and shaking it. Anything that doesn’t fall out is a “fixture” and thus included in the sale.

That means other stuff you see, like appliances, custom furniture, or elements of decor are up for negotiation. If there’s a funky dining room table that’s perfect for the room it’s in, you can ask the seller to name a price to leave it behind. One thing to note is that negotiating for personal property (as opposed to real property) usually has to be separate from the house contract, because most lenders won’t allow personal property to be part of the sale of the home. Still, you can make it part of the overall negotiation and just work up a separate agreement to cover anything you want to keep.

A test run

Finally, are you absolutely certain you’re going to love the house? Will it be quiet enough for you? Will the layout work the way you think it will? If you have any doubts whatsoever, ask the seller to let you sleep over in the house a day or two before finalizing the sale, something that’s becoming increasingly common. Just one night actually sleeping in the property can give you a very clear picture of the noise levels and general comfort of the home, and spending more than a few minutes alone in the place can offer clarity about its overall appropriateness for your lifestyle and family.

It’s key to keep in mind that while you can ask for just about anything when buying a house, the seller is under no obligation to agree to any of it. Still, it never hurts to ask—your worst case scenario is a “no.”

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