Buyer Home Inspection Coming Up?
Home Inspection Checklist for Sellers
The buyer has already made an offer on your home and signed a contract. Now they get a closer look.
Don't spend the night trying to make the house perfect.
Your job is simpler than that. Make the home accessible, safe to inspect and easy to understand. Then let the buyer tell us what, if anything, they want.
Before the Inspector Arrives
Make the house inspectable, not showroom perfect
Clear access to major systems
Make sure the inspector can reach the electrical panel, water heater, HVAC equipment, attic access and other major components.
There is a difference between a house looking lived in and an inspector being unable to reach the electrical panel.
Keep normal utilities available
Unless your contract or another instruction says otherwise, the inspector normally needs electricity, water and other operating utilities to test the home's systems and installed equipment.
Secure pets
I would rather not have your dog stressed because a stranger is walking through the house, and I definitely do not want your cat disappearing through an open door.
Put useful records where we can find them
If you have roof permits, HVAC records, repair invoices, warranties or documentation for major improvements, keep them available.
A document is usually more useful than somebody trying to remember what happened seven years ago.
The Day Before
Handle the easy things you already know about
I am not talking about starting a renovation.
I mean the simple stuff.
- Replace a burned-out light bulb if you already know about it.
- Make sure doors and gates can be opened normally.
- Remove boxes blocking equipment the inspector needs to reach.
- Make sure remotes or controls needed to operate installed items are available.
- Do not hide a known leak behind a bucket or a pile of boxes.
Do not start opening walls, replacing systems or making expensive repairs because you are nervous about what the inspector might say.
When the Report Arrives
The inspection report is not the repair list
The inspector works for the buyer.
The report may include maintenance suggestions, cosmetic observations, safety comments, old repairs, items near the end of their useful life and larger property-condition concerns.
Inspection report ≠ buyer request ≠ contract obligation.
That distinction matters.
The buyer may not care about half of what is in the report. Another item may matter a great deal to them.
Let the buyer make the request. Then we deal with the request.
Before You Spend Money
Do not repair a problem before we know what problem we are solving
Roof
Is the issue an active leak? Age? A damaged shingle? A permit question? An insurance concern?
Those can lead to very different answers.
Electrical
A specific defect may need an electrician. A broad inspection comment may need more information before anybody agrees to a large repair.
Plumbing
An active leak is not the same problem as an inspector noting an older plumbing material or recommending future maintenance.
HVAC
Old equipment is not automatically failed equipment. Find out what is actually wrong before agreeing to replacement.
When the Buyer Makes a Request
Put the request into categories and dollars
Once we know what the buyer actually wants, we can make a decision.
Depending on the contract and the issue, the conversation may involve:
- Completing a repair.
- Getting a specialist to determine the actual problem.
- Offering an agreed credit or concession when appropriate.
- Declining a request.
- Negotiating a smaller or more specific solution.
There is no prize for agreeing to the largest repair list. The goal is to make the decision that best protects the sale and your money.
One More Inspection
The WDO inspection is a separate question
A general home inspection and a Florida wood-destroying organism inspection are not the same thing.
Depending on the transaction, a separate WDO inspection may be completed and may create its own questions about visible evidence or damage.
Uber Realty Representation
Your marketing option does not change the inspection negotiation
Uber Realty's current 1% Traditional Marketing and 2% Enhanced Marketing options both include the same core professional representation.
That includes offer review, negotiation guidance and contract support.
The 2% option adds a 30-day property-specific paid advertising campaign. It is not a separate inspection-negotiation package.
Seller Inspection FAQ
The questions I hear most often
Do I have to fix everything in the buyer's inspection report?
No. The report, the buyer's request and your contractual obligation are different things.
Should I repair something before the buyer asks?
Usually not. First understand what is actually wrong, what the contract says and what the buyer is requesting.
Should the seller stay home during the inspection?
Generally, I prefer giving the buyer and inspector reasonable space to complete the inspection. Follow the access arrangements established for your particular transaction.
What if the inspector says the roof is old?
"Old" describes age. It does not automatically mean the seller should replace the roof. Condition, leaks, permits, insurance concerns and the buyer's actual request all matter.
Does the 1% Uber Realty option still include inspection negotiation help?
Yes. Uber Realty's current 1% Traditional Marketing option includes the same core offer review, negotiation guidance and contract support as the 2% Enhanced Marketing option. The 2% option adds the paid advertising campaign.
The Simple Rule
Let the buyer make the request. Then deal with the request.
Do not turn every inspection comment into a seller project.
Understand the contract. Understand the actual problem. Put the buyer's request into dollars. Then decide.
This page provides general seller education. The signed purchase agreement and any later written agreements control the parties' specific inspection and repair rights and obligations.
Real estate broker compensation is negotiable and is not set by law. Exact Uber Realty services, fees and advertising are controlled by the current written listing agreement.
Jim Whatley, Broker/Owner • Uber Realty LLC • Florida Broker License BK3174026 • Florida Brokerage License CQ1038333 • Equal Housing Opportunity.