What Happens If the Buyer's Inspection Finds Something Wrong With Your Manteca Home?

Short answer: it's normal, and it's not the end of your sale. Most homes have findings. After the inspection, the buyer can accept the home as it is, ask you to make repairs or give a credit, or sit down with you to work out a middle ground. You do not have to fix everything.

I'm Carolyn Cardoza, a Realtor and Broker Associate with Realty 1 Team in Manteca, California. I was raised here, and I've been selling homes here since 2007.

When a seller tells me they're worried about the inspection, it usually sounds like this: "What if they find something?" I understand. After an offer comes in, a stranger walks through your home with a flashlight and a checklist. Here is how it works, so nothing surprises you.

The buyer's inspection comes after you accept an offer, not before. The buyer hires an inspector to look at the condition of the home. Depending on the home, that can also mean a roof inspection, a pest inspection or a look at the heating and air.

The inspector writes up what they see. And this is where sellers get nervous, because the list can look long.

In my experience, nearly every report has items on it. Newer homes have small things. Older homes have more. A lot of what's on the page is routine maintenance, not a problem.

Some items are small. Some are worth a closer look. The key is knowing which is which, and that's part of my job. I'll go through the report with you line by line.

When the report comes back, these are the usual paths:

1. Accept the home as it is. The buyer read the report and moves forward.
2. Ask for repairs or a credit. The buyer asks you to fix certain items, or to lower the price or give money at closing so they can fix them.
3. Negotiate. You counter. Maybe you fix one item and offer a credit for another. Both sides find a middle ground.
4. Back out of the sale. Depending on the contract and the time frame the buyer agreed to, a buyer may be able to cancel. It's not the most common result, but it's possible, and I'll explain what your contract says before it comes up.

Not one of these means something went wrong. This is a normal part of selling a home.

No. A request is a request. You can agree, say no, or counter. What's right depends on the item, what it would cost, and what your plans are. I'll tell you what I'd do, and the decision is yours.

You can't remove every surprise. You can remove some of them.

• Take care of the small repairs you already know about
• Keep the home clean and easy to look at, so the inspector can get to everything
• Tell me about anything you know is wrong, even if it's small, so we can plan for it

That last one matters most. In California, sellers have to tell buyers in writing about problems they know of. A problem I hear about from you at the start is one we can plan around. A problem the buyer finds out about later is the one that hurts a sale.

• "What if they find something big?"
• "What if I have to pay for everything?"
• "What if the buyer walks?"

Those are fair, and I don't brush them off. I'd rather we talk about them now, before you list, than in the middle of a sale.

Do all homes have problems on an inspection?

In my experience, nearly all of them have findings. It's very normal.

Do I have to fix what the inspector finds?

No. Repairs are negotiable. We'll look at each request together.

Can I get my own inspection before I list?

Some sellers do, so there are fewer surprises. It's a choice, not a requirement. Ask me and we'll talk about whether it makes sense for your home.

If you're thinking about selling and you're worried about what an inspector might find, tell me where you are with it and I'll tell you what I'd do. No pressure here. I'd rather you get this right than get it fast.

I'm Carolyn Cardoza, a Broker Associate and REALTOR® with Realty 1 Team in Manteca. If you would like to talk it through, contact me. You can also read more about selling your home, how I sell a home or what happens between listing and closing.