Surviving the Buyer's Home Inspection
Quick Answer
Buyers weaponize minor defects to negotiate the sale price down thousands of dollars. You must know the difference between a legitimate safety hazard and an unreasonable demand.
The Psychological Shift
When a buyer signs a purchase agreement, they are emotionally elated. Twenty-four hours later, the "Buyer's Remorse" sets in. Then, they receive a 45-page bound report from their inspector detailing every single loose hinge, cracked shingle, and rusted pipe in the home.
Suddenly, the buyer feels terrified. Their agent will invariably draft an "Inspection Resolution Addendum" that reads like a ransom note: fix these 14 items, or reduce the purchase price by $10,000. As a seller, survival requires absolute emotional detachment.
Health, Safety, and Structural (HSS)
The unwritten rule of real estate negotiations is that you must yield on Health, Safety, and Structural (HSS) defects. If the buyer walks away, you are now legally obligated to disclose these HSS defects to the very next buyer anyway.
Must Fix (HSS)
- High radon levels (over 4.0 pCi/L).
- Live knob-and-tube wiring or missing GFCI outlets near water.
- A cracked heat exchanger in the furnace (carbon monoxide risk).
- Active mold in the attic or severe foundation settling.
- Collapsed sewer lines.
Push Back (Cosmetic/Maintenance)
- The water heater is 12 years old (but still functioning perfectly).
- The carpet in the basement needs cleaning.
- Missing window screens or torn screen mesh.
- A dripping faucet in the guest bathroom.
- "Aged" roof shingles that are still keeping water out.
Credits vs. Repairs
When you inevitably agree to rectify an HSS issue, you have two choices: Hire a contractor to fix it before closing, or give the buyer a financial "credit" at closing.
Always offer the credit. If you hire a roofer to fix a leak, the buyer will show up for the final walkthrough, claim the shingles don't match perfectly, and refuse to close. If you simply give them a $1,500 check at closing, the liability completely transfers to them.
"No Grandfathering" Fallacy
Buyers frequently demand that a 1960s home be brought "up to current code" because an inspector flagged an issue. Home building codes are not retroactive. Your home was built to the 1960 code. Unless you are actively remodeling the room, you are not legally required to update it to the 2024 code just to sell the house. Stand your ground.