Can a Home Inspector Be a Deal Killer?
You’ve found a house that checks all the boxes—enough space for the entire family, a gorgeous backyard, plenty of updates and all the other must-haves and nice-to-haves you’ve been looking for. Before you sign and make the house yours, it’s always wise to have a home inspection. But what if that inspection leaves you with more doubts—even some that are significant enough to
make you walk away from the deal?
Some homebuyers see home inspectors as “deal killers,” stopping the sale of a home dead in its tracks. The truth is, home inspectors have no authority to kill a deal. Only the buyer of apotential property can terminate the contract on a potential purchase due to the findings of a home inspector.
Can a home inspection kill a deal? Sure, but only by providing crucial information to buyers that might prevent them from making a mistake. Here’s a breakdown of the role of a home inspector, as well as some insight as to how negative discoveries during the inspection process can affect the sale of a home.
Home inspectors have a difficult job
Buyers have high expectations, especially when they feel as if they’d found the “perfect” home. In reality, even new construction homes come with their fair share of problems—no home is ever truly perfect. Being a home inspector can be challenging, since delivering potentially bad news is part of the day-to-day job. While some buyers may shrug off negative findings in an inspection as no big deal, others may find enough justification to cancel the purchase altogether.
So, it only makes sense that nervous listing agents and sellers often wonder if home inspectors kill deals. Only the buyer can decide when to cancel a purchase and walk away. By weighing any potential negatives that arise during a home inspection, potential buyers can determine the best course of action to take, whether that’s walking away, adjusting the offer, requiring improvements or anything else.
What to expect during a home inspection
A quality home inspector looks at properties from every angle, down to the last detail. If you’ve found a house you’re excited about, a home inspection in Severna Park, MD is the last chance to uncover any problems with the property—and potentially require the seller to fix them—before making the deal. More importantly, you’ll have a clear path for what happens after the home inspection: repairs and improvements.
Most home purchase contracts contain an inspection contingency that allows the buyers to identify and address problems before sealing the deal on a property. The inspector will look at every area of the home, inside and out, including all components and systems.
Here’s what a typical home inspection includes and where common home inspection findings occur:
- Foundation
- HVAC
- Basement (if applicable)
- Roof and gutters
- Interior plumbing and electrical systems
- Attic, including insulation
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Floors
- Windows and doors
- Structural components
What if you’re buying a home and your home inspection outlines several defects? The important thing is not to panic—many of these defects will be so minor, you might not even bother fixing them. Instead, it’s wise to pay attention to any of the property’s serious issues, especially some that can be deal-breakers, like major structural problems, foundation concerns, etc.
If serious problems are uncovered in your home inspection, discuss them with the inspector and your real estate agent, so you can determine the best way to move forward.
Can a home inspection kill a deal?
No home is perfect, and even the best-looking homes have their share of problems. A home inspection can uncover a wide range of issues, some of which are minor and some major. While buyers are able to negotiate with sellers following an inspection that uncovers serious issues, sometimes it’s best to avoid the deal altogether and move on to a new property. Some of the common reasons a house “fails” inspection include:
- Bad flips. TV is filled with shows focused on flipping houses, where real estate “experts” buy distressed properties, fix them up and sell them for a profit. As you might expect, there’s an abundance of bad flippers out there—many of them don’t understand what it really takes to get a house in great shape. Despite new tile and new paint, there could still be major issues under the surface. Often, these issues are expensive, and can bring a deal to an immediate halt.
- Listing discrepancies. What may be “line new” to one person may not seem that way to another. Often, a listing includes claims from the seller that they’ve recently replaced the HVAC system, roof or other pricey components. A home inspection can drill down on these discrepancies, showing that the home as it truly stands doesn’t meet a buyer’s expectations. In some cases, buyers won’t even finish the inspection before killing the deal.
- New discoveries. It’s not uncommon for excited buyers to make an offer after spending less than an hour in their potential new home. It’s hard to get the full scope of a property in that short time. During a home inspection, buyers often have several hours to sit in the house and see it for what it truly is. Maybe they don’t like the crown molding, maybe the neighborhood doesn’t match their expectations—whatever the case, inspections often give potential buyers the opportunity to discover things they may not like about the property. In these cases, the home inspection didn’t kill the deal, but the process led the buyer to do so.
Is a home inspection bad? Inherently, no. That said, a home inspection can turn up bad things that make a home more trouble than it’s worth. For that, inspections can get a bad rap—but for those who understand the importance of a home inspection, there’s no price you can put on peace of mind—even if it kills the deal.
Get to know your new home, down to the last detail
If you’re looking for the perfect home for your family, keep in mind that every property—even brand-new homes—comes with its fair share of issues. If you’re searching for a home inspector who’s thorough, detail-oriented and—most importantly—one who won’t gloss over issues just because you’re excited about a property, Next Level Home Inspection is the only name to call.
We continually study building standards for your benefit, and we want you to know everything you possibly can about your potential new home. After all, it’s likely the biggest purchase you’ll make in your life, and we make sure you can buy with confidence—clear-eyed, informed and assured.
Don’t trust random reviews or the home inspection flyers you see taped to bulletin boards. Instead, call the professionals who know what they’re doing—and who have a vested interest in giving you the information you need to transact with confidence!
