Are you a recent buyer or seller of a home? Maybe just an attempted buyer or seller? This means that you’ve likely come in contact with some home inspectors. They can be super helpful.
Nearly 90% of homeowners in the United States think that home inspections are a necessity!
What happens, though, when you completely disagree with what your home inspector has to say? Do you know what to do after a home inspection report that you disagree with?
Whether you’re the buyer or the seller, this can be a big problem. You trust the home inspector to be honest and thorough in their investigation. If they’re not, it can be really disappointing.
If you find yourself in this situation, keep reading to learn what to do when you disagree with your home inspection results.
Accompany the Inspector if You Can
As the seller of the home, it can be helpful to do a little walkabout with the inspector to see things through their eyes. This can make it much easier to understand when they see things that they “don’t like” or deem worthy of note.
If you see something being noted down, ask questions (if you’re allowed). It’s best not to argue as the person is simply doing a job, but perhaps ask for insight and see what it is specifically that the inspector has taken issue with.
Going through this process alongside the inspector instead of letting them go through it alone will make the end result less of a surprise.
You might still get responses that you’re not happy with, but you shouldn’t be wondering where they’re coming from. It’s often much easier to understand where someone is getting their ideas when they can verbalize them to you rather than when you’re just reading a report.
Self-Reflect: Are the Results Right?
When you get a bad report you might be shocked and downright devastated.
You’ve been preparing for weeks! Your home was spotless. You repainted the walls. You fixed all of the leaks. All of the lightbulbs were replaced the night before to ensure there wouldn’t be a single flicker.
How on earth could this have happened? The inspector must be wrong, right?
Well, maybe, but before you go disputing the results, take a step back and try to see your home through new eyes.
You see your house every single day. There are probably some faults and defects that you’ve completely stopped noticing because you’ve adapted to them (similar to how someone can go nose blind to common smells).
Before you go after the inspector, try to see your own shortcomings first. Look at the report and see if you can spot what the inspector noticed. If they’re actually right after you calm down and think about it, you have your answer. These things happen and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Ask Questions and Clear Up Misunderstandings
If you’re unsure of what to do after a home inspection that doesn’t go your way, see if you’re able to ask the home inspector questions.
Sometimes a conversation can help put your mind at ease. Why is it that the inspector feels this way? What can you do to improve? What is the basis on which they are judging the mistakes in your home and can they make the errors clearer?
There are lists online of general things that home inspectors look for, but if you’re not a seasoned professional, your eyes might not be as attuned to finding these things as the inspector’s are.
Asking questions, taking notes, and working through any misunderstandings is a great next step towards working past your poor inspection report. It might even help you get a better one.
Talk to Your Realtor
If you’re selling through a realtor, discuss your options with them. It’s possible that they’ll suggest that you continue to sell your house as-is, provided that the buyer will take it. A realtor might also take the findings to a different party who will directly oppose the results, though this will not be unbiased, it will be biased towards you (so not necessarily fair).
Sometimes buyers aren’t as concerned with the nitty-gritty details as you think that they’re going to be. If there are concerns that are brought up, you have a few options.
You can hire out help to work on your home before the sale goes through or you might be able to negotiate on the price a bit (which will allow the buyers to make the adjustments that they want to make).
Your realtor can help you make these decisions and help facilitate communication with the buyers.
Dispute the Report
You can reject the home inspection report if you disagree with it, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that everything will be wiped away.
The report will still exist; it will just be your word versus the word of the inspector. If you decide to reject the report, you can’t make the buyer go through with the purchase. They may still ask you to make the changes that the inspector had suggested, and if you (the seller) refuse, you may need to end up finding a new buyer.
This might be more work than you’re willing to do, but it’s entirely up to you.
Do You Know What to Do After a Home Inspection Goes Wrong?
When your home inspection doesn’t go to plan, you might be left feeling a bit hopeless and lost. You do have options though, and you should definitely try to get a bit of clarity from the inspector.
It can be hard to know what to do after a home inspection that you disagree with, but the first step is staying calm and keeping a level attitude. Remember, the inspector is unbiased and just doing their job.
For more information, or to hire a home inspector, visit our site and contact us.