How A Home Inspection Works When Your House Is In The Hot Seat

How to choose a qualified home inspector

If you decide to get a pre-listing inspection, the next important step is choosing the right inspector. Inspections can make or break your home sale, so choosing a qualified professional is crucial. Here’s how to find a reliable inspector who will set you up for success:

• Check credentials: Look for inspectors who are certified by reputable organizations like the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) or the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). These organizations have strict standards, ensuring inspectors are well-trained and follow ethical guidelines. Verifying their certification gives you confidence that they have the expertise to conduct a thorough inspection.
• Read reviews: Online reviews can provide insight into an inspector’s professionalism, thoroughness, and reliability. Ask your real estate agent for recommendations, as they often work with trusted inspectors and know who provides the most detailed reports. Speaking with past clients or checking for complaints with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) can also help you avoid unreliable inspectors.
• Compare reports: A good home inspector provides a detailed, easy-to-understand report with clear photos and explanations. Ask potential inspectors for sample reports to see if they highlight key issues and provide actionable recommendations. A well-structured report helps you understand the condition of your home and prepare for any potential buyer concerns.

How home inspections affect the sale

After the home inspection, the buyer and seller can either negotiate the contract or part ways completely. What happens next is crucial to the home’s sale, so let’s examine a few common scenarios.

The buyer wants to negotiate repairs or credits

Depending on the terms of the contract between the buyer and seller, the buyer may either request the seller to do the necessary repairs or request a credit from the seller, so the buyer can do the repairs themselves.

The seller will most likely have to foot the bill for whatever was found to be a health or safety issue in the inspection. Wolfe adds that this is where a good real estate agent comes in handy. They can help with negotiations and ensure the seller is protected from unreasonable requests.

The seller denies the buyer’s requests

The seller can bring in their own experts to confirm the issues that the inspector found. In some situations, the home inspector could be wrong about the status of home mechanisms and components.

Day says this has happened to him before: “The buyer’s inspector thought that the electric panel was outdated and obsolete. I had my electrician go out there and look at it, and they said there was nothing wrong with it, and that the parts are still readily available and it could last another 10 to 20 years. We were able to squash that problem just by having our own experts.”

Depending on the contract, the seller could even walk away from a buyer’s requests, which might be the best move if there are more buyers waiting in line to make an offer.

Wolfe points out, “It puts the seller in a pretty good position to not have to negotiate if that happens. But if there are no other offers and you go into escrow, then the seller may want to think about accommodating some of the things that come up.”

The buyer walks away

If the inspection reveals issues that the buyer doesn’t want to deal with and the buyer and seller can’t reach an agreement, the seller will have to put the house back on the market. When a house goes under contract, the multiple listing service (MLS) will show that it’s a pending sale or under contract.

If it comes back on the market, it’s often a red flag for buyers before they even step foot in the house. “Future buyers will question why the contract failed to close,” Day explains. “Then the seller will have to explain that they couldn’t come to terms, and it will affect the value for sure.”