What Fixes Are Mandatory after a Home Inspection?

Home inspections and repairs can be a daunting aspect of the home buying or selling process. In this piece, let’s go over some of the most critical components of the inspection and repair process, such as how to set realistic goals and what are frequently asked questions regarding mandatory repairs required following a home inspection,
Collaboration with the seller

Make sure the seller understands that going through many negotiations throughout the deal is not unreasonable.
When evaluating the probable cost of repairs, a good rule is to allocate between 0.5 and 1% of the home’s listing price. The cost will vary based on the house’s condition and the exact repairs requested by the buyer.

Collaboration with the Buyer

Buyers who are building a new home will normally have three inspections during the construction phase, at which time they will be able to request any required repairs or changes.

The repair procedure for a resale property, on the other hand, is a little different, so it’s crucial to be honest with the buyer and set realistic expectations. You’re purchasing a resale property, not a new one, and you’re buying it “as is,” except for essential repairs or items that pose a safety danger.

It is unreasonable to expect the seller to replace every broken panel and worn piece of wood on the house, and it will be met with hostility.

Common Repairs Needed After Home Inspection

Here are some of the most common repairs needed after a home inspection or a specialized home inspection to be done by the seller to save the deal.

1. The Roof issues: The roof and attic should be upright and intact to bear every rain, storm, or snow.
2. Electrical issues: All electric systems should be compatible with modern appliances. Electric panels should be labelled and wired. Fuse boxes should not be overcrowded.
3. Plumbing issues: Leaky pipes may or may not be visible in front like the green molds, but can cause potential damage to the whole structure. So it’s important to check all drainage and water inlet areas like Basins, sinks, toilets, kitchen fixtures, and faucets.
4. Heating and central air conditioning systems (temperature permitting): Ensure that the furnace, heat pump, air conditioner, ductwork, thermostat, and leakage controls are all in working order. Also, examine a gas or oil furnace’s operation by ensuring it lights up and warms or cools the house effectively, and if not it needs repair.
5. Foundation, basement, and structural issues: Significant movement, such as sticky doors, splitting windows, a slanted chimney, fractured tiles/paint, or other symptoms of serious imbalance and should be repaired before the family moves in.
6. Infestation of termites and pests: Pests, timber insects, and/or rodents in the home is a deal-breaker issue.
7. Issues with windows and doors: While failed thermal seals, leaking windows, stuck doors, and broken locks may appear small, they all influence your safety and enjoyment of the property, therefore we recommend having the seller repair them if at all feasible.
8. Asbestos or lead paint should be disclosed fairly to the buyer and repaired as it could be a health hazard for the new owner.

Tip: It is better to be honest about the home’s actual condition because the flaws disclosed before inspection are not counted as a surprise in-home inspection report.

Common Inspection Problems Found in Every Report

Even after this long list of repairs, several repairs are generally found in every inspection report. Buyers and sellers can negotiate their fix, and they are not deal-breakers. However, if settled, they can make the deal lucrative for the buyer.

• Get the interior and exterior of the wall repainted.
• Get your HVAC serviced.
• Loose nails and a tile break on the roof.
• Replace those broken sprinkler heads.
• Window screens will need repair.
• The bathroom exhaust fan vents to the attic, which is a building code violation.
• Leaky faucets and dripping exterior hose bibs.
• Dirty chimneys need cleaning.
• Broken doorbell.
• Reset the door handle and cabinet door locks to allow for proper latching.
• Slow draining sinks or bathtubs.
• Soil height around the foundation of the home is more than mentioned in building code violations.
• GFCI outlets are not up to the building code.
• Dead trees in the garden
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are not up to the building code.
• Windows are foggy.
• Wood Rot around Exterior Doors

Tip:

A penny spent on small repairs can have a large impact on the final price.

FAQ

Do I Have to Fix Everything on a Home Inspection?

In most cases, the answer is NO. A seller is not contractually bound to fix anything following a home inspection outside of FHA transactions.

If you’re a seller, viewing your home through the eyes of a potential buyer—and making the required changes—before you put it on the market may make a major impact.

It is important to consider a few additional factors when deciding which adjustments are “necessary” to close the deal and which are optional. In certain states, “as-is” contracts exist, which absolve the seller of any need to perform repairs. This indicates that the buyer accepts the property in its existing state, but reserves the right to back out if the home inspection report reveals too many fixes to do.

Does Seller Have to Fix Home Inspection?

The seller does not need a home inspection. So the seller does not fix the home inspection.
It is the buyers who need to know the actual condition of the property before closing. To ensure what type of renovations, repairs, and negotiations are needed. And if there are no deal-breaker structural damages in the property. The buyer needs to double-check that he/ she is not buying cash drag.

Who Pays for Repairs After Home Inspection?

In a perfect scenario, the seller would provide you with a repair credit or a price reduction on the house so that you could complete the repairs after you move in. It could be the best of all worlds since the seller pays for the repair, but you get to pick the contractor who does the actual job. That is, you may supervise the repairs while also receiving a warranty for the job completed.

What fixes are mandatory after a home inspection?

While it may come as news, No fixes are mandatory after a home inspection as per the laws. This varies by state, but in most circumstances, the seller is not compelled to execute the repairs, and if this causes the home deal to go apart, the buyer is free to walk away from the contract (for a limited time depending upon the contingency clause). But some repairs are needed to keep the home habitable, which are almost mandatory to be taken care of by the seller. These are reasonable repair requests like fire hazards, safety hazards, structural defects, roof repairs, plumbing, and electric lines. There are, however, other types of repairs that are unnecessarily expensive, but fall under the category of beautifying the house. These repairs can make the deal of a home more lucrative to the buyer like cosmetic fixes, air conditioning, and renovations that the buyer needs, etc.
The majority of the time, mandatory repairs are items that are obvious safety hazards or structural flaws on the home that need immediate attention.

The seller will only be obliged to make repairs to important systems to execute under the contract for FHA loans, which employ a separate contract modification. Following the FHA appraisal, the buyer may be required to make specified repairs to be accepted for the loan. These repairs become the seller’s duty. Otherwise, the seller may lose the sale entirely. In most cases, repairs are negotiated between the seller and the buyer based on their market needs.

Can you negotiate repairs after a home inspection?

After a property inspection, you can reasonably negotiate for anything, but getting the seller to agree to your conditions is the true challenge. You’ll need lots of proof, such as photos and repair quotes, because a seller may be completely oblivious to the problem. Don’t presume the seller was aware of the problem and was concealing it; it’s possible to live in a home for years and be indifferent to some of the flaws.

What should I ask the seller to fix after the inspection?

In general, purchasers should propose repairs to the property that address health problems or serious structural issues. These may include the following:

• Hazards such as fire or electricity
• Hazards posed by toxic or chemical substances.
• Building code infractions or major structural dangers.
• Mold or water damage are both possibilities.
• Infestation by pests or animals.
• There are tripping dangers.

Cosmetic repairs for wear and tear aren’t required or the seller’s mandate. They add to the beautification of the property and are part of renovations.

What if the seller does not respond to the request for repairs?

When submitting a request for repairs, the buyer may request certain contractors to perform specified tasks. The seller normally has three business days to react to purchasers from the time of receipt. During such time, the buyer is unable to amend his or her repair request.

A seller can respond in one of the following three ways.

a. The buyer may accept buyers’ repairs requests as written in the home inspection report.

b. The buyer may make a counteroffer, seeking negotiations.

c. The buyer may not respond to the repair request made by the buyer’s home inspection.
The buyer receives the deposit back from the seller if the seller refuses to make the repairs or fails to respond to the repair request. If a contingency clause is included in the buyer’s contract, the buyer may cancel the contract without penalty if the cost of the repairs exceeds a certain threshold.

Negotiating the required fixes can be daunting for a first time buyer. Schedule the detailed home inspection and we will take care of the rest!