Your home is on the market. And things are progressing well. You’ve got a buyer! The offer, the terms, and the price are all agreed upon. What comes next? The home inspection. And most homeowners find a home inspection to be stressful. Why?

What is a Home Inspection?

Before you and the buyers actually go to contract (aka escrow), the buyers will pay for a home inspection. Home inspections afford them the peace of mind that the condition of your house is in good order.

A home inspection is a report on the overall condition of a home. They are done by home inspectors who are trained and certified to do so.

The home inspector prepares and delivers a written report of their findings to the buyers. The buyers then use this information to help them make more educated decisions concerning their pending real estate purchase.

What to Expect on Home Inspection Day

No home is perfect. But a home inspection alleviates stress for you as the seller. Because knowing what an inspector looks for, allows you to sort out minor issues in advance.

The home inspector looks at and provides a written report on:

• HVAC system
• interior plumbing
• electrical systems
• roof
• attic
• floors
• windows
• doors
• basement
• foundation

Home inspections usually take two to four hours, sometimes longer, depending on the size of the house.

While the inspection is underway, you may feel helpless or that at the mercy of the buyer and his home inspector. But just let the process run its course.

What to Expect Following the Home Inspection

Most inspectors are fair and realize that whatever is in disrepair can be fixed. And most buyers understand a house is always in need of some repair. They expect that some things will need their attention after they move in.

Upon completion of the home inspection, it may take a couple of days for the buyer to receive a copy of the report. Exercise patience. Now is not the time to negotiate or fly off the handle. Just wait for the results of the report. If the buyer comes back with a list of repairs, expect to negotiate a compromise that works for both parties.

But remember, the ultimate goal is closing on the house.

Ask for a copy of the report and schedule time with your Realtor to review the following:

• Small repairs listed that are not necessarily urgent
• Repairs that were known by both parties in the original negotiations

When it comes to making the repairs listed in the report, what are your options?

• Agree to do some repairs
• Give the  buyer a credit
• Reduce the price of your home
• Do nothing at all

Remember though when you choose not to fix what needs fixing, you choose to sell your home as is and for a lower price. But this isn’t always the best choice since your ultimate goal is closing on the house.

And if there are major repairs listed, be sure to shop for the lowest cost of repair before you make a decision.

Home Inspections Don’t Have to be Stressful

Remember, home inspections are a normal part of the process. So stay cool.

Michael Reinhardt, a local attorney and Brooklyn real estate lawyer for over 20 years, wrote ‘Selling A Home Doesn’t Have To Be Stressful.’ Ask for your free copy today. There is no obligation, and the book’s information helps alleviate stress you may be feeling about the home selling process.

If you need to sell your home or have specific questions about home inspections, contact Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate. Call (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or email [email protected]. 

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Charles D’Alessandro
Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent
718-253-9600 ext. 206
[email protected]

I’m not going to sugar coat it. Selling our home has been a stressful experience. Not because our agent hasn’t done an excellent job keeping us calm and focused though. Selling our home for top dollar and closing on the appointed day have been the goal and what we have been working toward. We’ve kept our home cleaned, staged, and ready for showing at a moment’s notice, well, almost. Our bags (and dog) have been packed and on-the-ready by the front door since we listed this place last month. And each time we left home, we made sure there was no trace of us (or our dog) living here. Thankfully, our home sold quickly, in less than two weeks. And although a lot of the stress was relieved when it went under contract, it continued to be somewhat stressful. From the agent walk through to the buyer home inspection, many strangers walked through our home. Three inspectors/repair men came in one day! The selling process has been fairly smooth and most of the inspectors and repairmen have been easy to “work” with.

How do you look at the home inspection process? Do you look at this process with dread? Most do. They see inspectors as bad news investigators. If you view home inspections in such a way, I challenge you to look at them from a positive perspective instead. We worked hard to prepare our home for sale, but the buyer home inspections provided us with the opportunity to see what still needed to be repaired. We then used the money set aside for repairs on the original net sheet prepared by our agent. The buyer home inspection went well and required us to use only half of what we set aside! It wasn’t a bad experience at all!

What a Home Inspection Does for the Seller

The American Society of Home Inspectors states, “a home inspection can give [sellers] the opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition.” Home inspections also encourage smooth transactions and help sellers receive their asking price. But what if the home inspector finds major issues? Here are three tips to help you navigate the home inspection process.

3 Tips to Help Navigate the Home Inspection Process Positively

1. Work with your agent to be ready for inspection ahead of time.

Make sure your home and you are as ready for inspection as you can possibly be. As early in the selling process as you can, do a walk-through with your agent. Let them point out potential issues. Remember, they want your house to sell quickly and for top dollar, too! Ask, “Do you think I should fix that?” and be prepared to hear, “I would.” And when the home inspector walks through your home and reveals a few more flaws, don’t take it personally. Just appreciate that another pair of eyes are helping you sell your home.

2. Help your agent know everything there is to know about any issues your home may have before inspection day.

Ask your agent to let you know the date and time of the home inspection. It’s best if you aren’t present for the buyer home inspection. If you’re concerned that you won’t be able to answer questions to explain any issues your home may have during the inspection, have your agent call you with questions they don’t already have the answers to.

3. Keep reminding yourself that the inspector is just doing their job.

When the time comes for the actual inspection to take place, remember, the home inspector is simply doing their job. A number of real estate deals fall through when buyers and sellers get tangled up in negative emotions about repairs. Your home is important to you, but taking the emotion out of the situation will benefit both you and the buyer. Stay focused on the bigger picture and your end goal: getting the best return on your investment and moving into a new home.

Finally …

Know this: the best laid plans can go awry. You can prepare for the home inspection in every possible way and still watch the deal fail. Thoroughly inform your agent and prepare yourself well. Let the inspector do their job. Be a model seller. Stay calm and focused on your end goal.

Hire Charles D’Alessandro. Contact him at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or send him an email at [email protected]. With over 30 years of real estate experience in Brooklyn, you can trust Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate to help you stay calm and focused through the sale of your home.