Munich condo inspection: repairs, credit or price reduction?

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nico_compares

First-time buyer
I need to respond within the seller’s deadline, and the main trade-off is control over the repairs versus cash available after closing. The inspection of this 40 m² Munich condo identified legitimate but manageable items with estimates totalling roughly €53,360. The seller is willing to commission the repairs, while my preference is to select the contractors and oversee the scope.

I am therefore weighing a closing credit against a lower purchase price. A credit could leave more money available for the work, but only if the lender permits it; a reduction may be simpler while doing less for immediate cash flow. What should I confirm with the lender about concession limits, valuation and financing before choosing how to frame the request?
 
One clarification: I’m not treating the estimates as an automatic €53,360 deduction. I’m looking at completed comparables and trying to separate necessary work from items that can wait. I also need to respond within the seller’s deadline, so I’m asking the lender what form of adjustment it can actually accept before negotiating numbers.
 
If contractor control is the priority, a price reduction is usually the cleaner request—but it does not put €53,360 in your account for repairs. A credit may preserve more cash, yet it is only useful if the lender accepts both the amount and how it appears at closing. Get that answer in writing before choosing the format.
 
Also, are all the quoted items definitely the buyer’s responsibility rather than relating to shared parts of the condo building? That could materially change the negotiation. I would want the estimates broken down by urgency, scope and who is expected to pay, rather than bargaining from one combined figure.
 
I wouldn’t dismiss the seller doing the work. A price cut gives control, but it also transfers cost overruns, scheduling and hidden-condition risk to the buyer. Seller-arranged repairs could be preferable if the work is precisely specified and completion can be checked before closing.

The bigger issue is motivation: will the seller accept a substantial adjustment, or simply return to the market? Completed comparables help with value, but they will not necessarily support every euro of estimated repairs, especially if the appraisal was already tight.
 
Before the deadline, send three concrete alternatives: specified repairs before closing, an acceptable credit subject to lender approval, or a price reduction. Ask the lender how each affects financing proof and any appraisal gap. Separately, confirm what happens to your deposit if no agreement is reached or financing changes; that depends on the actual contract and German transaction arrangements, so assumptions are risky.
 
That three-option approach is sensible, but I would not present them as financially equivalent. Rank them. For example: price reduction first for control, credit second if the lender confirms it works, seller repairs third with a detailed scope and verification. Otherwise the seller may select the cheapest-looking option while leaving the buyer with the least protection.
 
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