Nope, just because they are the landlord or the seller doesn't mean they have the upper hand. As a renter or a buyer, you have plenty of power - just know how to use it.
Landing a better deal on buying a home or getting upgrades to your rental arrangements can be tricky. But if you play your cards right, you may just get what you want so you can enjoy a better living situation.
Trulia.com has these tips so you can bargain like a boss and happily close that deal:
If you can, go for a long-time lease
There is nothing that can't make that deal happen more than a crazy-high fee. If you just found the perfect apartment but can't afford the computed monthly cost, try to offer signing a two-year lease instead of just 12 months. That way, you can re-negotiate and get the cost down to a more reasonable range.
Go for a quick close
Don't let bidding wars get you down and play smart instead. If the seller is moving somewhere far or already has a new property, they would find an offer that has fewer weeks between the accepted offer and the sale more attractive. You don't necessarily have to make an all-cash offer; you just have to keep this thought in mind: time is money!
Procrastinate
One of the rare times procrastination could do you well is when negotiating with your landlord. Instead of negotiating six months before your lease is up, believe it or not, doing it until the eleventh hour is the better idea. Negotiating way too early might cause suspicion that you are trying to break the lease entirely. Bringing it up at a much later time will help you - and the landlord.
Instead of spending on listing the apartment and making repairs for showings to draw up a new lease, the landlord would most often than not offer a slight rent reduction to a stable tenant to avoid all those hassle.
Pay now, save later
There is no better time to deal with your rental's needed repairs than when lease-end starts. Talk to your landlord - be very kind and tactful about it - about work that need to be done on the apartment and offer to make the repairs yourself in exchange of a rent reduction or stabilization.
Whatever you spent to refinish the floor or give the kitchen cabinets new paint will come back to you if you think about how much you can save from a cheaper monthly due.
Ask for freebies
When people move from one place to another, regardless of the circumstance, they are often not willing to spend on renting a crane to move out a sectional from their third-floor condo; they wouldn't mind leaving their patio furniture behind if they are moving to a much smaller place.
So do not hesitate to ask your agent with a few select requests to float to the sellers. In most cases, a seller would not kill a deal over a freebie.
