An inspection report on a 1950s or 1960s house can run long. Flat roofs, slab plumbing, original wiring, single-pane glass and decades of owner projects all show up on the page. The real work starts after you read it: deciding which repair requests after a home inspection are worth making, and how to ask for them so the deal holds together.
This guide is for buyers of mid-century and other older homes in California. It covers how to sort findings, when to ask for a repair versus a credit, the rules that apply to work on older houses, and how to write a request a seller can actually answer.
How repair requests fit into the purchase
Your purchase contract sets an inspection contingency period. Within it, you can usually ask the seller to make repairs, give a credit, lower the price, or you can cancel under the contract's terms. The seller can agree, counter or decline. Your agent and the contract language control the details and deadlines, so read them before you schedule inspections.
Disclosure rules run alongside the negotiation. California law preserves the seller's duty to disclose facts that materially affect value and desirability, including inspection reports the seller has received. If a seller amends a disclosure after your offer, you have three days after delivery in person, or five days after delivery by mail or electronic record, to terminate in writing. And if your deal falls apart, what the seller learned from your inspection doesn't disappear; it becomes part of what they know.
Sort the findings before you ask for anything
A request that lists every line in the report invites a flat no. Sort first.
Items the law already requires at sale. Every single-family home that is sold must have an operable smoke alarm, and all existing residential water heaters must be braced, anchored or strapped. The seller certifies both in writing. Some local rules add more, such as the East Bay's private sewer lateral program, which requires a compliance certificate to close escrow. Confirm these are handled; they shouldn't cost you negotiating room.
Active damage and hazards. Roof leaks, water at the slab or glass walls, gas leaks and electrical conditions an electrician calls hazardous belong at the top.
Wood-destroying pest findings. California's pest board separates reports into Section I, items with visible evidence of active infestation or infection, or damage resulting from it, and Section II, conditions likely to lead to infestation where no visible evidence was found. Our guide to Section I and Section II termite reports explains the difference. Section I items describe damage or activity that is already there, so they belong near the top of a request. "Further inspection" items are areas the inspector couldn't reach, and those call for another look, not a guess.
Items that need a specialist. A general inspector may refer radiant heat, roofing, sewer laterals, electrical panels and structural questions to a specialist. Get those opinions inside your contingency period so your request rests on a real scope and estimate.
Age and character. Original paneling, period fixtures and the patina of a house built in the 1950s are not defects. Asking a seller to "fix" originality rarely helps either side.
Repair, credit or price change?
Each option has trade-offs, and older houses make the choice sharper.
Seller-made repairs get the work done before you move in, but you don't choose the contractor, materials or method. On an architectural home, that can mean a patch that doesn't match the original siding, beams or glass. If you ask for repairs, spell out the standard you expect.
A credit lets you hire your own trades after closing and choose materials that suit the house. Ask your loan officer whether your loan limits how much a seller may credit before you write the request.
A lower price reduces the loan amount instead of putting money toward closing costs. It can be the simplest answer for big-ticket systems with several possible fixes, such as a radiant heat system that no longer works or a roof that needs replacement.
One approach on mid-century homes: ask the seller to repair active leaks and Section I pest items, and take a credit or price change for systems you may want to redesign, like heating, glazing or the roof assembly.
Rules that apply to repairs on older houses
Lead-safe work. EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 to be lead-safe certified. Write that into any repair request that touches paint.
Possible asbestos. EPA lists vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring backing, roofing and siding shingles, textured paint and patching compounds, and coated hot water pipes among the places asbestos may be found. It advises that removal be done only by a trained and accredited asbestos professional.
Permits and licenses. Ask that work be done by licensed contractors with permits where the city requires them, and that final sign-offs be delivered before close of escrow. If you aren't sure a repair needs a permit, check with the city's building department.
Pest work paperwork. If a structural pest control licensee completes work and the seller receives a notice of work completed before the transfer, state law requires that it be furnished to the buyer as soon as practical.
How to write a clear repair request
Cite the report, page and item number for each request.
Describe the outcome you want ("stop the leak at the living room glass wall and repair water-damaged decking") and the trade you expect to do it.
Ask for invoices, permits, final sign-offs, warranties and before-and-after photos.
Set a completion date before closing, and leave time to check the work.
Where originals are involved, ask that repairs match existing materials or that removed originals be left on site.
Re-check at the final walk-through, and re-test where it matters, such as a sewer lateral video after repair.
Before you write anything, check what you already have. The Structural Pest Control Board's online system shows whether a property has had a wood-destroying organism inspection within the last two years, and you can request copies of those reports in writing. Our buyer resources and Eichler renovation guide explain the systems these houses share, and our materials and construction page covers what original finishes look like.
This is general information, not legal advice. Contract terms control your rights and deadlines, so check with your agent, a real estate attorney or a licensed contractor before you rely on any one approach.
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask for repairs or a credit on an Eichler?
For active leaks and Section I pest items, asking for repairs before closing gets the damage stopped before you move in. For systems you may want to redesign, such as radiant heat, glazing or the roof, a credit or price change lets you choose the method and materials yourself.
Does the seller have to fix Section I pest items?
Not automatically. Section I describes active infestation or damage from it, and who pays for that work is a matter for the contract and your negotiation. Your lender may have its own conditions, so ask early.
What if the seller refuses every request?
Depending on your contract, you can accept the house as it is, renegotiate the price or cancel within the contingency period. The seller still has to disclose what they know, including what they learned from reports they received.
Can I see earlier pest inspection reports on the house?
Often, yes. The Structural Pest Control Board lets you search for wood-destroying organism inspections on a property within the last two years and request copies of the reports in writing.
Related reading
Mid-Century Home Inspection Checklist: What to Check, System by System
Sell a House As Is in California: Original Mid-Century Homes
Slab Leaks in Mid-Century Homes: Signs, Tests and Repair Choices
Buying an older home and weighing what to ask for? Call or text the Boyenga Team at (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or contact the Boyenga Team for help building a repair request that fits the house.
