Home Inspections: What to Expect, Red Flags, and Negotiating Repairs
The home inspection is one of the most important steps between your accepted offer and closing. It is your chance to understand exactly what you are buying — the good, the bad, and the potentially expensive. Here is how to get the most out of it.
What the Inspector Checks
A general home inspection covers the structure (foundation, framing, roof), systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), exterior (siding, grading, drainage), and interior (windows, doors, floors, walls). The inspector is looking for safety hazards, code violations, deferred maintenance, and components nearing the end of their lifespan. A typical inspection takes two to four hours for a single-family home. You should attend if possible — seeing issues in person gives you context that photos in a report cannot.
Red Flags That Matter
Not everything in an inspection report is a dealbreaker. Focus on structural issues (foundation cracks, sagging rooflines), water damage and evidence of mold, electrical panel problems (especially Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels), plumbing issues (polybutylene pipes, sewer line problems), and HVAC systems past their expected life. These are expensive to fix and affect livability. Cosmetic issues like scuffed paint or a loose doorknob are not worth negotiating over — save your leverage for what matters.
Negotiating Repairs vs. Credits
After the inspection, you can ask the seller to make repairs, provide a credit at closing, or reduce the price. Credits are often better than repairs because you control who does the work and the quality. Sellers doing repairs before closing tend to hire the cheapest option. Be strategic: focus on health and safety issues and expensive systems, not cosmetic fixes. Present your requests as a reasonable list, not a laundry list of every finding. A 30-item repair request signals to the seller that you are difficult to work with.
When to Walk Away
If the inspection reveals major structural defects, extensive water damage, or environmental hazards that the seller will not address, walking away may be the right call. Your inspection contingency gives you the legal right to back out and get your earnest money returned. This is exactly what contingencies are for. Better to lose a few hundred dollars on the inspection than to inherit a $50,000 foundation problem.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Attend your inspection in person to understand issues in context
- ✓Focus negotiations on structural, safety, and system issues — not cosmetics
- ✓Credits are often better than seller-completed repairs
- ✓Your inspection contingency protects you — use it if major issues are found
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