How many nail holes are acceptable when you move into a house? There is not a stock answer to this.
Unless you are buying new construction, you should expect the home at closing to have some small nail holes here and there. The more conscientious sellers will remove wall hangings well before closing, patch and touch up with matching paint every single hole – but that is the exception. I have found that the vast majority of buyers will accept some small holes at the final walk-through, and the vast majority of sellers will balk at any demands that every single hole be filled and touched up. Our contract states: “seller warrants that the property will be….delivered to buyer in its same condition…as it was on the date of this contract.” When you go thru the home as a buyer about to make an offer, pay attention to how many items are on the walls. Expect that many holes, as my interpretation of the above contract line says as much. Of course there is room for disagreement in what that line means, but my experience with hundreds of walk-throughs is if they are hardly noticeable, they are acceptable. Once they are readily noticeable (if you can see them across the room at a glance), they are no longer acceptable. Most sellers realize this and make corrections accordingly, by fixing the more noticeable ones.
I have had buyers insert a clause into the contract stating that seller will patch and paint all nail/wall holes, which addresses the issue upfront. However, that tends to make the seller less willing to negotiate with that buyer as they fear a difficult inspection process, especially if there is competition. Other factors to consider: How hard will it be to match the paint color and sheen if none exists; is the hole in wallboard or wallpaper; are you going to paint walls or strip paper anyway; how bad do you want the house; is it a seller’s or buyer’s market? It is similar to addressing how clean the home will be left, it can be difficult to quantify and you risk goodwill by addressing the issue. Not having matching paint and time to do it seem to be common reasons for sellers not to take care of them. But with paint centers having the ability to closely match a sample you take in (quarter size taken from inconspicuous spot), and a little planning ahead, that can avoid the pain of a loud complaint the day before closing, when timing is much more critical.
In the end, as with so many things in selling homes, it pays to follow the spirit of the agreement, treating the other party as you would like to be treated. Leave the home in the best condition you possibly can – it pays off immensely in buyer satisfaction, and ultimately the sellers too.
Happy Patching!
Gary Hoeferkamp, Broker - Owner of Hoeferkamp Real Estate 