What can you ask a seller when you present an offer to buy their house in Halifax?

There are several things that you can have your agent write into your offer. Having said that, please it is not a shopping spree of someone’s belongings.

Let’s start with the appliances. Yes, ask for the fridge, stove, washer, dryer, dishwasher and microwave rangehood. If there is a central vac, you must place in the offer that you want this and the accessories to go with it.

When it comes to curtains….this one really gets to me, to be honest, most purchase curtains to match their furniture and bedspreads. As for the blinds and hardware yes place them in the offer but forget the curtains.

Yup, ask for the bathroom mirrors and the 2 environmental green bins. If there are wall mounted TV stands, never assume they are staying.

The above is the accepted norm when it comes to offers. It has been in my experience that when a buyer asks for more, like the snow blower, the lawn mower etc, that the hairs on a seller’s neck slowly start to stand up. I have been in several deals where a buyer agent asks for everything except the first born and it does not go down well. Trying to negotiate a price for the home at that point is near impossible. Take heed to this: anything you try to get done up front, that when the time comes for home inspection amendments, you may not get a thing as the seller feels that they have given everything up already.

 Wait till the deal has firmed. Draft a letter that you can have your agent send to the seller. People are happy. The deal is done. My thoughts are they may be more opened to selling or even leaving you at no charge the items in question.

Remember, “anything that the listing cut states, is truly an advertisement. If it is not written in the deal, you are not going to get it.”

If you are thinking of purchasing your home, have a look at our website www.thepikegroup.ca for a list of active properties.

Sandra Pike

#halifaxrealtor