A fixer-upper will often come back from a VA appraisal with a list. That is not the end of the purchase - VA's own procedures assume it will happen. What matters is understanding the three ways a repair list gets resolved, and the one condition none of them can skip.
VA's minimum property requirements exist to make sure a home is safe, structurally sound and sanitary. When a house does not meet them, the appraiser prepares the appraisal "subject to" completion of the repairs and includes the contributory value of the finished work in the estimated market value. In other words, the value on your notice already assumes the work gets done.
Two things the appraiser is told not to do are worth knowing. They are not to recommend repairs of cosmetic items, minor deferred maintenance or normal wear and tear. And they are to recommend repairs, not further inspections. The appraisal is not a home inspection either; VA's notice of value recommends you get one.
The seller, or you with the seller's permission, completes the work and it is verified. Simple when the list is short.
Lenders may hold funds in escrow so the repairs are completed after closing. All repairs must be finished and the escrowed funds distributed before VA will guarantee the loan.
After the notice of value is issued, VA will consider waiving MPR repairs you request, if the lender agrees and the home is habitable.
A waiver has three conditions: you sign the request, your lender concurs with it, and the property is habitable from the standpoint of safety, structural soundness and sanitation. VA says these requests should not be used to waive requirements that could create safety issues.
A waiver has a cost. Because the appraisal assumed the repair would be done, VA may reduce the value by the contributory value of the waived item - which can reduce what you can borrow. If that value is not material, the notice can be reissued without a change.
An inspection report from a licensed professional is not required with a waiver request, but VA notes it helps make sure you are fully informed about what you are accepting. After a natural disaster, when materials are scarce, the regional loan center can consider waivers case by case.
The underlying rules on what work qualifies, and how the finished value caps the budget, are on alteration and repair rules.
Source: VA Pamphlet 26-7, Lender's Handbook, Chapter 12 Minimum Property Requirements, version effective after May 1, 2026: Topic 1 Minimum Property Requirement Procedures and Topic 43 Requests for Waiver of MPR Repairs (current versions on KnowVA). VA rules change; confirm before relying on them. Lenders may apply their own additional requirements. Not a commitment to lend.
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