What Home Repairs Should Buyers Pay Attention To?

Every home inspection report comes back with a list. Some of them are three pages long, some are thirty, and if you're a first-time buyer staring down a stack of findings, it's easy to panic over every single line item. I've watched buyers nearly walk away from great houses over a loose cabinet hinge, and I've watched other buyers wave off a real problem because it "didn't look that bad."

So let's talk about which repairs actually deserve your attention and your negotiating leverage, and which ones are just part of owning a house.

Start with the big four

There are four systems where a problem is genuinely expensive to fix, and they're the ones I want every buyer to read closely in their inspection report.

Roof. A full roof replacement on an average home runs anywhere from about $6,900 to $24,000 depending on size, materials, and complexity, so this is not a small ask. If your inspector flags missing shingles, exposed nail heads, sagging areas, or signs of active leaking (water stains on the ceiling, damp insulation in the attic), that's worth a real conversation with the seller. Cosmetic granule loss on an otherwise sound roof with years of life left is a different story.

Foundation. This is the one that scares people the most, and reasonably so. Minor crack sealing might run $200 to $800, but if an inspector or structural engineer finds active settlement, bowing walls, or a foundation that needs piering, you could be looking at $1,000 to $3,000 per pier, or into the tens of thousands for major structural lifting and leveling work. Hairline cracks in a slab are extremely common and usually not a dealbreaker. Cracks wider than a quarter inch, doors and windows that stick throughout the house, or visibly uneven floors are the signs that warrant bringing in a structural engineer before you move forward.

HVAC. Central air conditioners and heat pumps typically last 15 to 20 years, while furnaces can run 15 to 30 years. If the system is already near the end of that range, or your inspector notes it's not cooling or heating properly, budget for replacement. A full system swap runs roughly $5,000 to $28,000 depending on the equipment and your home's size. A system that's 6 years old and running fine isn't something to fight over. A system that's pushing 20 with a rusted-out unit outside is.

Electrical. This is the one buyers most often overlook, and it shouldn't be. If your inspection turns up a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, take that seriously. Both were manufactured with known defects: breakers that can fail to trip during an overload (the entire job of a breaker) or that can fuse and stay energized even when switched off. Many insurance carriers won't write a policy on a home with one of these panels, or they'll charge extra for it. Replacement typically runs $2,000 to $4,500. This isn't a negotiating chip you should let go easily.

What's usually safe to let go

Here's where I try to talk buyers off the ledge. These are the findings that show up on nearly every inspection and rarely justify walking away or fighting hard in negotiations:

• Cosmetic cracks in drywall or paint
• A loose doorknob, cabinet hinge, or towel bar
• Minor caulking or grout wear around tubs and sinks
• GFCI outlets that just need to be reset or swapped (cheap, easy fix)
• Worn weatherstripping around doors and windows
• A water heater that's functioning but getting older, unless it's actively leaking or well past its expected 8 to 12 year lifespan

None of this is nothing, but it's the normal wear and tear of a lived-in house. Spending your negotiating leverage here usually means you have less room to push on the items that actually matter.

How to think about negotiating repairs

I generally coach buyers to separate findings into three buckets: safety issues, big-ticket mechanical or structural items, and everything else. Safety issues (that Federal Pacific panel, active gas leaks, exposed wiring) get addressed no matter what. Big-ticket items get a real conversation about repair credits, a price adjustment, or the seller handling it before closing. Everything else usually just becomes part of your homeownership to-do list.

It's also worth remembering Arkansas doesn't have a state-mandated seller disclosure form. Sellers here operate under caveat emptor, meaning the legal responsibility largely falls on the buyer to investigate before closing. That said, licensed agents in Arkansas have a duty under AREC rules to make reasonable efforts regarding material facts they're aware of, and roughly 70% of Arkansas Realtors use the Arkansas Realtors Association's voluntary disclosure form as a near-standard practice. None of that replaces a thorough inspection. It's exactly why one matters so much here.

Don't skip the inspection to save money

I know a home inspection feels like one more cost on top of an already expensive process, but a standard inspection typically runs $300 to $500, which is nothing compared to finding out about a bad panel or a failing HVAC system after you've already closed. If a property has well water, a septic system, or notable acreage, add those inspections too. They're not standard, but they matter just as much for what they can catch.

Let's walk your inspection report together

If you're under contract right now and staring down an inspection report wondering what's worth pushing on, send it my way. I'd rather help you figure out what's a real problem and what's just an old house being an old house before you make a decision you'll second-guess later. And if you're just getting started and want to talk through what to expect before you're even under contract, I'm happy to have that conversation too.

Until next time, here's to finding home.

Michelle Executive Broker, Blair & Co. Realtors 501-424-7949 / 501-654-HOME