Once you have had a home inspection and you find out how many repairs are necessary, you may feel nervous whether you are a home buyer or seller — but there’s no reason for panic. While you may receive a notification that the home needs work, there is no precise pass or fail for home inspections, and bringing the house up to standards only requires careful strategy. To put it plainly, there’s no such thing as a ‘failed’ inspection.

Avoid these five mistakes and follow the expert tips to simplify the post-home inspection process.

1. Skimming Through the Report

Upon receiving the inspector’s note, it’s common to focus solely on the summary page or the most critical issues, overlooking minor but still significant details. For example, if the report mentions minor plumbing issues along with a more serious electrical problem, you might decide to only address the electrical issue, thinking the leaks can wait. However, the longer you delay those repairs, the worse the damage gets, leaving you with even more expensive fixes. 

Avoid this mistake by going through each section of the report methodically. Create a checklist of all the items listed and ensure you’ve ticked them off before scheduling another inspection. 

2. Neglecting Professional Help 

Feeling confident in your DIY skills, you might attempt to fix significant issues yourself. There’s always the risk of making existing damage worse or even sustaining preventable injuries in the process. As the seller, you want the fixes completed ASAP, and as a buyer, you want a quality repair job. 

Hiring a licensed contractor covers both concerns sufficiently without risking physical harm to either party. 

3. Not Working the Repair Costs Into the Sale

Though the buyer may pay for the home inspection, the seller is typically responsible for fixing the issues highlighted in the report. However, that doesn’t always have to be the case. Both parties can decide to work the expenses into the pricing to move the sale forward. 

If the seller can’t afford to fix the busted ceiling tiles but the buyer can, you can collectively decide to include the expense in the closing costs or offset it from the final price. 

4. Rushing the Process

Conducting an initial home inspection can be a massive obstacle in the sale proceedings, so much so that 24% of buyers waive it altogether. On the other hand, sellers may feel pressured to resolve issues quickly so the transaction can progress to closing without delay. For example, you might hire a maintenance person to fix several issues in a single day, resulting in rushed work and lingering problems.

Take the time to plan and execute post-inspection repairs and restorations. For example, if you’re painting the interior, allow time for surface preparation and drying to achieve a professional finish.

5. Overlooking Permits

It’s easy to assume that minor repairs don’t require permits, leading you to proceed without checking local regulations. For instance, you might replace old windows with energy-efficient ones but fail to obtain the necessary approvals, which could lead to fines or issues during a future sale.

Before resolving any issues, contact your local building department to understand which permits are required.

Get Things Back on Track After Your Home Inspection 

Many real estate anxieties stem from unexpected issues. If your home has noticeable flaws and you list it for sale, it’s no surprise when inspectors find what you already anticipated. However, if you believe your property is in excellent condition, only to hear the inspector say otherwise, that revelation can be pretty stressful. Avoiding these common mistakes is a great starting point for navigating the process and moving the transaction along to a satisfactory conclusion.