Home-buyers and sellers sometimes disagree over seemingly frivolous issues – however the disputes don’t seem nearly as frivolous if and when they jeopardize a sale.
Sales can die over petty disputes
Realtor.com recently interviewed real estate professionals and inquired about common petty disputes that can show up in a transaction.
Missing cover plates
Agents said they hear “missing cover plates” a lot. “One of the funniest – and most annoying – requests I get is for sellers to replace missing cover plates on light switches and outlets,” Amy Berglund, a real estate professional in Denver, Colo., said. “Usually they’re missing in places such as laundry rooms and basements – think places that aren’t used that much. It is an incredibly affordable fix.”
Missing blinds
Jen Horner, a real estate professional in Salt Lake City, knows this gripe well. The buyer makes an offer, but on the final walk-through, they’ll see the seller took the blinds, rods and drapes with them. “When looking at a property, buyers incorporate window dressings into their overall impression of the house,” she said. “And if they are not clearly excluded in the contract, window dressings belong to the home. Most of the time, the seller will agree to replace or reimburse the missing items. But if a seller refuses, we’ve seen it become a contentious issue that threatens the entire deal – even though you’ve made it to the walk-through.”
An effort to get freebies
Sometimes buyers set their sights on seemingly little things inside the home that belong the seller and then try to get them without cost. “During a 2017 sale of a $1.2 million home in Utah, and after months of negotiations, the deal literally came down to a last-minute ask for a foosball table worth about one hundred bucks,” Horn said. “Through some professional real estate therapy on both sides, we were able to avoid this final barrier and close on the property. Most importantly, both the buyer and seller were pleased with the outcome.”
Nevertheless the foosball incident taught Horn that completing an agreement between a buyer and seller can now and again come down to “seemingly very small terms” in the contract.
“These types of disputes, which might seem petty on the surface, are oftentimes rooted in buyers and sellers psychologically wanting to feel like they got a final win before the deal closes.”
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