A buyer doing their due diligence is likely to add a stipulation that allows them to arrange for one or more inspections of a home and property before they go through with its purchase. These inspections are meant to inform the buyer of potential problems, and the results give the buyer a chance to back out of the deal if the inspection is unsatisfactory or if you, as the seller, refuse to remedy any problems. If you disagree with the buyer's home inspection report, you have a few options for handling the situation.

Ask the Inspector

If you disagree with the inspection report, contact the inspector. Ask to see photos or videos of the areas on which you disagree. Some aspects of a home inspection could be up to interpretation, but others are objective. Also, keep in mind that different inspectors have different qualifications. Some states don't require any licensing or certification of home inspectors. On the other hand, your buyers might have hired a licensed structural engineer to do their inspection. If this is the case, and the inspector identifies a structural problem, you may have less standing in negotiations.

Request an Additional Inspection

You can have your home inspected at any time. Before even listing your house for sale, it's a good idea to have an inspector take a look. This gives you an opportunity to fix things in advance. It also gives you an idea of what to expect from a buyer's inspector. If you disagree with the buyer's inspector, you could pay for your own inspection performed by someone else. Keep in mind that if the buyer hired a licensed, certified, bonded and insured home inspector or structural engineer, you should hire the same type of professional with identical credentials. Review the contract in order to ensure that the inspection you pay for will cover the same areas of the house and property. Accompany your inspector and ask them to closely examine the areas of your home that the buyer's inspector identified as a problem.

Negotiate With the Buyer

Imagine the buyer's home inspector says your home's foundation is in need of major repairs. You hire a basement repair company to take a look, and they agree your basement needs some repairs. You could use the information in order to negotiate with the buyer. For example, if the recommended repairs would cost $20,000, you could lower the sale price of your home by that amount. You could also offer to have the repairs done at your own expense and stick with the same sale price already negotiated with the buyer.

Walk Away

A last course of action is to have your lawyer sign a waiver and get you out of the transaction. This could result in your home taking longer to sell. Your real estate agent could become frustrated. Another inspector could find the same problems with your home.

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