How a Home Inspection Outcome Can Affect a Sale

An important stage of buying or selling a property is the home inspection process. Put simply, this process involves a professional with a home inspection license examining the structure and reporting on any potential issues he or she may find. This process not only enables the buyer to know what they are getting themselves into, but it also protects the property seller from any future liability.

Let’s take a look at the different types of home inspection outcomes that a home owner or potential buyer may encounter.

Home Inspection Outcome – No Issues

The best possible outcome of a home inspection is no issues. No surprise that this is wonderful news because the home is in the best possible shape. Usually, when a potential buyer elects to commence the home inspection process, they already possess confirmed interest in moving forward with a purchase. The sale moves from being a possibility to a highly likely outcome. As far as home inspection outcomes are concerned, this is the ideal scenario.

Home Inspection Outcome – Minor Issues

While a long list of minor repairs might turn off a potential buyer, it is certainly not a dealbreaker. On the contrary, it’s often quite the opposite. Minor issues could include a leaky faucet or a failing window seal. It is standard for a potential buyer to request that the seller repair these issues prior to proceeding with a contract and it is then up to the seller on whether or not they want to comply with the request. There are instances where it is in the best interest of the seller to accommodate these requests, meaning they will have the minor repairs taken care of so that the sale can proceed. As far as home inspection outcomes are concerned, this scenario certainly isn’t ideal, but typically still leads to the sale/purchase of the property.

Home Inspection Outcome – Major Issues

A seller should always disclose any known issues. That said, it is possible that certain problems exist that they are not aware of. Major issues that might negatively impact a sale may include:

• Wiring that isn’t up to code
• The presence of mold and/or asbestos
• Problems with the foundation
• The presence of termites and/or other pests
• Needing a full roof replacement

When issues like these do arise, there’s no need to immediately be stressed. As with minor issues, the seller has the option of either requesting repairs or walking away from the deal. Problems that a seller was not aware of can certainly be addressed though, and doing so will help with the sale moving forward. As far as home inspection outcomes are concerned, this is the worst case scenario, and may result in a greater likelihood of the deal not going through.

Partner with Key Realty School Today

For more information about the inspection process, be sure to visit our home inspection license course offerings at KeyRealtySchool.com. We offer in-depth, online coursework, feature some of the most up-to-date, accurate educational materials in the country, and have helped countless real estate professionals get the assistance they need to satisfy their continuing education requirements and take their careers to the next level. If you want to learn more about how partnering with Key Realty School is in the best interest of your career, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.