Homebuying for the un-handy

Post date: 2026-10-08 07:01:31

I have started the process for buying my first home. I am modestly handy with the type of things that someone living in an apartment might be able to fix themselves but I have no experience with the types of big ticket expenses that come from home ownership. I put an offer on a 1920s home and received the disclosures and inspection report and...it's a lot.

The house turns out to have issues with several different systems ranging from electrical to insect damage.

My real estate agent hasn't generally been all that helpful and just insists that I can try to ask for concessions for some of the issues with the house. My problem is that I have no idea what to ask for since I have no idea how much repairs for the identified issues might cost.

I understand home inspectors in the US are limited in the types of things they can look at and they typically do not provide any type of estimate on how expensive various repairs might be.

How do people come up with estimates for house repairs during the negotiation process?

I've come across some automated tools like InspectReply-Ai and RepairPricer that can give a ballpark estimate based on uploading an inspection report. I know that should come with a big grain of salt, but it seems better than nothing. Otherwise, it seems like people suggest calling contractors to get estimates but in my experience most contractors have to come by to do an in-person assessment before giving an estimate.

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