1) What repairs should I ask for after a Texas home inspection?

Ask for repairs tied to safety, function, financing, insurance, or major cost exposure. Common examples include roof damage, HVAC defects, active leaks, unsafe electrical conditions, plumbing problems, foundation concerns, drainage issues, septic issues, or lender-required repairs. Cosmetic items usually weaken the request unless they point to a larger defect.

2) Can a Texas buyer ask for seller credits instead of repairs?

Yes, buyers can negotiate seller credits when the contract, lender, and closing structure allow it. Credits may help with allowed closing costs, but lender limits and loan-program rules matter. Always confirm the amount and wording with your lender before sending an amendment.

3) Do sellers have to make repairs after a Texas inspection?

No, sellers generally do not have to agree to buyer-requested repairs unless the contract requires a specific item or the parties agree in writing. The buyer can ask, the seller can agree, counter, or refuse, and the buyer must decide based on the contract deadlines. During the option period, the buyer may have termination rights if the option fee was properly paid and notice is given on time.

4) How long do I have to negotiate inspection repairs in Texas?

Your timing depends on the option period and the deadlines in your contract. TREC explains that the option period can be used to inspect the property and negotiate an amendment for necessary repairs. Because the right to terminate is deadline-sensitive, buyers should schedule inspections immediately and negotiate before the option period expires.

5) What inspection issues are common around New Braunfels?

New Braunfels buyers should watch roof condition, HVAC age, drainage, foundation movement signs, plumbing, electrical, septic, well systems, floodplain questions, and prior renovation quality. The exact concerns depend on the property type, age, location, and whether the home is inside city services or on a more rural setup. A local review helps separate normal maintenance from real negotiation issues.

6) Is a Texas seller required to make repairs after inspection?

No. In a typical Texas resale contract, the seller is not automatically required to repair every inspection item. During the option period, a buyer can inspect the property, negotiate repairs or concessions through an amendment, or terminate if the contract gives that right and the deadline has not passed.

7) What are reasonable repair requests after a home inspection?

Reasonable repair requests usually focus on safety issues, active leaks, roof problems, electrical hazards, plumbing defects, HVAC failure, foundation concerns, septic or well issues, and lender-required repairs. Cosmetic or normal wear items are usually weaker asks unless they reveal a larger condition issue.

8) Is it better to ask for repairs or seller concessions?

It depends on the issue and your loan. Repairs may be better for safety or lender-required items that need to be completed before closing. Seller concessions may be better when you want to control the repair after closing and reduce cash needed at the closing table, but your lender must confirm the allowed amount.

9) Can I ask for a price reduction instead of repairs?

Yes, a buyer can negotiate a price reduction if both parties agree in writing. The tradeoff is that a lower price may not reduce your cash-to-close the same way a seller credit can, so buyers should compare the monthly-payment effect, closing-cost need, and repair budget before choosing that route.

10) When should inspection repair requests be sent in Texas?

Inspection requests should be sent before the option period expires, with enough time for the seller to review, counter, or agree. Waiting until the final hours can reduce your negotiating room and create deadline risk, especially if specialty inspections or lender input are still needed.

Texas Inspection Requests: New Braunfels 2026 Guide

What should you ask the seller for after a Texas home inspection in New Braunfels?

Quick Answer

After a Texas home inspection, ask the seller for repairs, seller credits, or a price adjustment tied to real defects, safety concerns, lender-required items, or expensive systems. In 2026, TREC lists Amendment to Contract Form 39-10 as effective January 3, 2025, with Form 39-11 effective July 1, 2026, so your agent needs to use the current form for the timing of your contract. In New Braunfels, the strongest requests usually involve roof condition, HVAC age, foundation signs, drainage, electrical, plumbing, septic, well, or flood-related concerns, not paint colors or loose cabinet pulls. For expert updates, contact Cody Posey Real Estate.

What kinds of inspection requests are reasonable in Texas?

Reasonable inspection requests usually connect to habitability, safety, insurability, financing, or a meaningful cost the buyer did not know about when the offer was written. That means roof damage, active plumbing leaks, unsafe electrical conditions, HVAC problems, wood-destroying insect concerns, foundation movement signs, missing permits, drainage issues, septic concerns, or lender-required repairs usually belong in the conversation. Cosmetic issues usually don't, unless they reveal a larger defect or were misrepresented before the offer.

Texas buyers also need to keep the contract structure in mind. TREC explains that contract forms are public records, but they are intended primarily for trained license holders, and mistakes in their use can create financial loss or an unenforceable contract. That matters after inspection because the words in the amendment matter just as much as the inspection report. A vague request like "seller to fix roof" can create confusion. A cleaner request identifies the issue, the expected standard, the deadline, who performs the work, and what documentation transfers before closing.

In New Braunfels, I coach buyers to separate the report into three buckets: items that affect the deal, items to watch after closing, and items you accept as normal wear. The part relocating buyers from Austin or out of state sometimes miss is that a Hill Country inspection can look scarier than a suburban inspection because of drainage, limestone, pier-and-beam additions, older downtown homes, septic, or well systems. Not every note is a crisis. The job is to decide what changes your risk, your cost, or your willingness to move forward.

This is where a buyer game plan matters. If you're still early in the process, my Texas option period guide for New Braunfels buyers explains why inspection timing and termination rights need to be lined up before you start negotiating. Inspection requests are strongest when they come from a clear strategy, not a reaction to a long report.

Should you ask for repairs, seller credits, or a price reduction?

The right ask depends on the problem, the seller's situation, your loan type, and how close you are to closing. Repairs can make sense when the defect is specific, the work is easy to verify, and the seller can complete it before closing. A seller credit can make more sense when you want control over the contractor or when the fix may uncover more work. A price reduction helps your long-term equity position, but it does not always solve a cash problem at closing.

For buyers watching monthly payment, the difference matters. A $5,000 price reduction usually does not feel like $5,000 in your pocket on closing day. A properly structured seller credit may help with closing costs or allowed loan costs, but lender limits apply and credits have to be written correctly. This is why I do not want buyers guessing after the inspection. You should run the numbers with your lender before you decide whether to ask for repairs, credits, or price.

There are also practical seller-side realities. Some sellers will agree to a clean credit faster than managing contractors while packing. Others prefer repairs because they don't want the price changed. Some will say no if the request reads like a remodel list. The better your request is tied to the inspection findings and the real cost of ownership, the more serious it feels across the table.

If closing costs are part of the negotiation, review the numbers before you send the amendment. My plain-English closing cost breakdown is a helpful starting point, and this recent guide to Texas buyer agent commission rules in New Braunfels shows why buyers need to understand all cash-to-close pieces before they negotiate credits.

Trying to decide which inspection items are worth negotiating before your option period expires?

I will help you sort the report into deal issues, normal ownership items, and cost-to-close questions before you send a repair amendment.

Call Cody Posey Real Estate at 830.360.5569 · Get a custom buyer game plan

How does the Texas option period affect inspection negotiations?

The option period is the pressure point. TREC says a buyer who pays the agreed option fee has the unrestricted right to terminate for any reason by giving written notice during the option period. TREC also notes that buyers can use that time to inspect the property and negotiate an amendment for necessary repairs. Once that clock is running, you do not have unlimited time to think, price, negotiate, and re-negotiate.

That is why I want the inspection scheduled immediately after the effective date, especially in New Braunfels and nearby Hill Country areas where specialty follow-ups can take time. If the general inspector flags possible roof damage, HVAC failure, drainage concerns, septic issues, or foundation movement, you may need a specialist opinion before you know what to ask for. Waiting until day five of a short option period can leave you negotiating with incomplete information.

The amendment should also match the current form and contract timing. TREC's contracts page lists Amendment to Contract Form 39-10 with an effective date of January 3, 2025, and Form 39-11 with an effective date of July 1, 2026. For a June 2026 contract, the date matters because forms update. The safest path is to work with an agent who checks the current TREC form and coordinates with the lender, title company, and inspector before the deadline.

One local mistake I see is buyers treating the inspection as a second round of price shopping instead of a due-diligence checkpoint. If the house was already priced for condition, a long repair list may not move the seller. If the report reveals a major hidden cost, the conversation changes. That distinction is exactly what I walk buyers through before they decide whether to ask, accept, renegotiate, or terminate.

What New Braunfels inspection issues deserve extra attention?

New Braunfels buyers should pay close attention to the systems that create the biggest ownership surprises. Roof condition matters because hail, age, insurance underwriting, and lender concerns can collide quickly. HVAC matters because Texas heat turns a weak system into a real comfort and cost issue. Drainage matters because Hill Country lots can move water fast, and water moving toward the foundation is not something to ignore.

Older homes near downtown, properties near the rivers, acreage outside city services, and newer subdivisions can all create different inspection questions. An older home may raise electrical, plumbing, foundation, or prior-renovation questions. A rural or semi-rural property may require extra attention to septic, well, water pressure, access, fencing, and drainage. A newer build or resale in a fast-growing corridor may still need close review of grading, attic ventilation, workmanship, and warranty transfer.

Floodplain and water-adjacent questions deserve careful treatment. A property does not have to be waterfront for drainage or flood insurance questions to matter, and a buyer should verify flood zone information through proper sources rather than relying on listing remarks. This is not about scaring anyone away from a house. It is about knowing which risks are normal, which are negotiable, and which could change your budget after closing.

The best request is specific and defensible. Instead of asking for every minor item, prioritize what affects value, safety, insurance, financing, or cash flow. If your budget is already tight, use the mortgage calculator to pressure-test the payment, then compare the inspection findings against your cash reserve. A strong offer strategy gets you under contract, but a strong inspection strategy helps you decide whether the contract still makes sense.

What should buyers do after receiving the inspection report?

Review the report with your agent and mark only the items that affect safety, function, insurability, financing, or meaningful cost.
Ask your lender how seller credits, price changes, and lender-required repairs would affect approval, cash to close, and timing.
Get specialist input quickly when the report flags roof, HVAC, foundation, septic, well, drainage, plumbing, or electrical concerns.
Send a clean amendment before the option deadline with specific language, documentation expectations, and realistic completion timing.
Decide in writing whether you are accepting the seller's response, negotiating further, or terminating within your contractual rights.

In Closing

If you're buying in New Braunfels in the next 30 to 180 days, the next step is not memorizing every inspection item. It is building a buyer plan that protects your option period, your cash to close, and your comfort with the house.

Call Cody Posey Real Estate at 830.360.5569, and I will help you compare the inspection findings, amendment options, lender limits, and closing-cost impact so your next move is clear.

Ready to talk strategy? Cody Posey Real Estate at 830.360.5569.

Sources: Texas Real Estate Commission, Contracts · Texas Real Estate Commission, Amendment to Contract · Texas Real Estate Commission, Rules and Laws · Texas Real Estate Commission, 2026 Buyer Representation Changes