Must a seller agree to make repairs after the home inspection?


Must a seller agree to make repairs after the home inspection?
By Scott Rogers • March 20, 2017
Nope! What follows is an astute comment from Bob after my recent post on home inspections.... Scott, sometimes the impression is left (by the agents in some cases, but more likely just by the sellers hearing anecdotes) that the seller is somehow obligated to repair any deficiencies found by the home inspector. My mother was told she would HAVE to repair this, that, or the other thing, as if it were some kind of law that the house you sell has to be in "like new" condition. If the agent who is representing the seller lets someone put language in the contract obligating the seller to anything other than another potential round of negotiations after the inspection, then they have failed their fiduciary responsibility to their client. Likewise, they should be educating their clients that the contract is not completed until the buyer has the information to make a wise decision about the purchase, and when the amendments come in for the seller to fix stuff, they have a powerful, one-word tool they can use to protect themselves. The word "no". Bob is, indeed, correct -- the standard home inspection contingencies used in this area (I can't speak for other areas) do not place any obligations on the seller to make any repairs. A buyer makes a decision to buy a home based on the information available to them at the time that they make the offer. They then will often conduct a home inspection to learn more about the condition of the property. If they discover material defects, they can (reasonably) ask the seller to address those detects --- BUT --- the seller does not have to agree! Now, of course, if there are some major issues revealed during the home inspection, and the buyer requests that the seller address them, and the seller uses Bob's powerful one-word tool of saying "no" -- then the buyer, of course, can decide not to proceed with the purchase. But the point here is that nothing in the home inspection process requires a seller to make any repairs. Receive Updates by Email Recent Articles: Is There A Price You WOULD Pay For This House? There Are Plenty Of Types Of Houses That Exist That Just Are Not Available To Purchase Home Sales By Price Range In The City Of Harrisonburg Are You Compromising On Aspects Of Your Next Home That You Can Or Cannot Change Later? How Much Slower Are The Winter Months In Our Local Housing Market? Rockingham County and New Home Sales Drive Surge in Area Housing Market Find The Balance Between Optimistic And Realistic Home Pricing Room Size Is Difficult To Understand Solely From Real Estate Photos How Much Would You Value Not Having To Prepare Your Home For Showings? One Out Of Four Homes Is Taking Longer Than A Month To Sell
Have any questions? Contact Scott Rogers at 540-578-0102 or scott@funkhousergroup.com
Based on information from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS® or its MLS, for the period Jan 1, 2000 through Nov 23, 2024 (unless otherwise noted).
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