Remembering Moving…

February 27, 2009

I’ve got several clients closing and moving this week. I started thinking about everything that goes into a move, how disruptive and frustrating it can be, but also incredibly exciting to be taking that step. Which reminded me of a post I wrote here back in mid-2007, the last time I moved. So in sympathy, here’s that post again, for your general amusement. May you not make the same mistakes I did. Repeatedly.

The Top 10 Lessons Learned while Moving the last time

1. The screws that come in the bag with the new door pulls for the cabinets are not long enough to use on the drawers.  Also, when you present the too-short screw to the guy at Ace Hardware and tell him that you need the same thing, only a half inch longer, make sure he gives you something that’s really a half inch longer, not a quarter inch longer.  Ideally, you should do this IN the store and not when you get home.

2. You can’t tell if the pilot on the water heater is really out every morning unless you’re lying flat out on the dirt about half an inch from the little window at the bottom of the water heater.  Also, it takes an average of 12 clicks to light the pilot, and 20 minutes to accrue enough hot water for a shower.  Every morning.

3.  U-haul will buy back unused boxes, so get plenty at the start.

4. Many new in-sink disposals don’t come with a power cord - the cord is sold separately, and conveniently, right beside the disposals (which you’ll notice on your second or third visit).

5. Every smoke alarm at both the new and the old house will have the batteries die within 48 hours of each other, most typically between 2am and 4am.  Keep several AAs on hand.

6. Do all of your laundry BEFORE you move, as the handyguy may not be able to get to the new house to hook up the washer and dryer for several days, and you only have 3 comfortable pair of work-appropriate pants.

7. If you put something in your cart at the Home Depot, make sure it gets purchased.

8. If you purchase something at Home Depot, make sure it gets into one of the bags and into the car.  You’ll be back a third time to return it for something of the correct size, so go ahead and save your receipt.

9. New utility knives are much sharper than you think, and cut knuckles bleed much faster and more profusely than you’d expect.

10. After close to 9 months of renovation, take a minute to relax and enjoy the new home.  The reward of the house is far greater than the more temporary hassle of moving.  Also, ask a neighbor right away which day is trash day, or else you’ll miss it and have to stockpile trash for a week.

Posted by Kelley Koehler | Filed Under buy-tucson-real-estate | Leave a Comment 

Negotiating Repairs

February 16, 2009

Having a couple of buyers in the throes of repair requests reminds me the topic deserves a review. 

When you buy a home in Tucson and use the customary purchase contract, you’re allowed an inspection period.  By default, you get 10 days, but I usually like to write in 15 days.  Regardless of duration, at the end of your inspection period, or earlier if you’re ready, we’ll write up a document that formally ends your inspections.

Within that document, we’ve got several options.  You can:

  • Take the house as-is without any repairs.
  • Tell the Seller you’re not buying the house and walk away from the deal.
  • Ask for repairs.

There are two kinds of repairs - and by the way, this is a one-shot deal, we get to ask for stuff ONCE.

The first kind of things you put on that document are any non-working warranted items that you’ve discovered.  The contract outlines that the heating, cooling, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing, among other things, will be in working order at close.  So if you find any of those things that don’t work, you give notice to the Seller and he has to fix it.

The second kind of things you put on that document are the repairs that you want that don’t fall in that warranted items category.  This could be a wide variety of things.  You’ve probably got some kind of list in your head after doing inspections, so we’ll put that together and submit our request.

The seller has 3 options once they get our repair request.  They can:

  • Agree to do everything in the way we requested
  • Decide not to do any repairs on our list
  • Propose an alternative to our repair request

If they agree to do everything in the way we requested, then we’re done, and you’re one hurdle closer to buying a home. 

If they don’t agree to everything or give us an alternate solution, then we have options again.  Basically, we can take it or leave it, and there are timelines associated with that decision that are negotiated in the initial purchase contract.

As a Buyer, the final decision is yours.  And that’s how we negotiate repairs.

Posted by Kelley Koehler | Filed Under buy-tucson-real-estate | Leave a Comment 

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