The Buyer's Inspection Found Problems. What Are My Options as a Seller in Midlothian?

Christine Case is a REALTOR® with NextHome Advantage in Midlothian, Virginia, helping buyers and sellers in Chesterfield County and Metro Richmond understand their options before they make a move.

No. It means you and the buyer have some decisions to make.

You were under contract. You were mentally packing. Then the report arrived, and now you're hearing words like roof, crawl space moisture, windows, and heating and air.

Nothing says "we're almost at the closing table" quite like a multi-page inspection report and a deadline.

Take a breath. An inspection report is information. Inspectors are paid to find things, and they find things in every house, including new ones. What matters is which items the buyer actually asks you to deal with, and how you answer.

That depends on the inspection contingency in your contract.

In the contracts I use here, the buyer has a set number of days to inspect and send a written list of what they want addressed. The seller then has a set number of days to respond. If the two sides can't agree in time, the buyer can usually end the contract and get the deposit back.

One thing that helps to know: an inspection contingency is meant for real problems with the house, not a wish list for making it brand new. A leaking pipe is a real problem. Not liking the paint color isn't.

So before you react to the whole report, look at the buyer's actual request. It's usually a lot shorter than the report.

Option 1: Make the repair

Sometimes this is the cleanest answer. The buyer finds a problem, you agree to fix it, and everyone keeps moving toward closing.

If the repair is simple, fixing it often makes more sense than a long back-and-forth over it.

One caution. Once you agree in writing to make a repair, be clear about what you agreed to:

• Who does the work? Does it need to be a licensed contractor?
• Will the buyer want a receipt or paperwork?
• When does it have to be finished?
• Will the buyer check it at the walk-through before closing?

Don't casually say, "Sure, I'll take care of that." Make sure everyone agrees on what "take care of that" means, in writing.

Option 2: Offer the buyer a credit

Sometimes you don't want to manage a repair while you're packing. And sometimes the buyer would rather handle it their own way after closing.

Maybe they want a different heating and air system than you'd pick. Maybe they're planning to redo that bathroom anyway. A credit lets them fix it their way instead of yours.

Credits have rules. The buyer's loan can limit how a seller credit is used, so the buyer's lender has to confirm it works before anyone signs. And like everything else here, it goes in writing.

Option 3: Change the price

Another route is lowering the price instead of fixing the item or giving a credit.

Say the inspection shows the roof is near the end of its life. You and the buyer might agree to a lower price and leave the roof as it is.

A price change and a credit are not the same thing to a buyer, even when the dollar amount matches. Which one helps them more depends on their loan, and that's a question for their lender. On your side, I'll show you what each option does to your estimated bottom line, so you can compare them side by side.

Option 4: Say no

Yes, you can say no.

A repair request isn't an order. You can agree to some items, turn down others, offer something different, or decline the whole thing.

But "Can I say no?" is the wrong question. The better question is: "What happens under my contract if I say no?"

If the buyer is still inside the inspection contingency and you can't reach an agreement, the buyer may have the right to walk away. Sometimes that's a risk worth taking. Sometimes it isn't. Know which one you're choosing before you answer.

Could the buyer walk? Possibly. It depends on your contract and whether the buyer is still inside the inspection deadlines.

Could you meet in the middle? Almost always. That's where most of these land:

1. The buyer asks for five things.
2. The seller agrees to fix two.
3. The seller offers a credit for a third instead of repairing it.
4. The buyer accepts, and everyone moves on.

If this buyer does walk, the problem doesn't walk with them. The next buyer's inspector will likely find the same thing. And what you now know about the house may affect what you have to tell the next buyer. That's a question for a Virginia real estate attorney. I wrote about disclosure here: Do You Have to Disclose Problems When Selling a House in Virginia?

• Taking it personally. The report isn't a review of how you kept your home. It's a list. Treat it like one.
• Missing the response deadline. Your contract gives you a set time to answer. Put the date on your calendar the day the request arrives.
• Agreeing to something vague. "Seller will fix the roof" can mean a patch to you and a new roof to the buyer. Spell it out.
• Guessing at the cost. Before you agree to a repair or a credit, get a real estimate from a licensed contractor. The number in your head and the real number are rarely the same.
• Fighting over the small stuff. Losing a solid buyer over a small repair is an expensive way to win an argument.
• Forgetting the next buyer. If the issue is real, it will come up again. Dealing with it now is often cheaper than starting over.

These are examples, not real clients.

A seller in Midlothian gets a request for six items. Two are real problems: a plumbing leak under the kitchen sink and a missing handrail. Four are small. The seller fixes the two, says no to the rest, and the buyer agrees. Closing stays on schedule.

A seller in Chesterfield learns the heating and air system is at the end of its life. The buyer asks for a new one. The seller doesn't want to pick a system for someone else's house, so they offer a credit instead. The buyer's lender confirms it works, both sides sign, and they move forward.

A seller says no to everything. The buyer is still inside the inspection window and walks away. The house goes back on the market, and the next buyer's inspector finds the same crawl space moisture. Saying no was allowed. It just wasn't free.

This is why I like a pre-listing inspection for the right house.

Instead of waiting for the buyer to find the old water heater or the damp crawl space while you're under contract and on a deadline, you find out first.

Then you get to choose. Fix it. Get estimates. Price with it in mind. Or decide it isn't worth fixing. Either way, you're deciding before someone else's clock is ticking.

I'd much rather hear a seller say, "We know about that, and here's our plan," than "Wait, they found WHAT?"

It isn't right for every home, and two inspectors can look at the same house and see different things. The full story is here: The Pre-Listing Inspection: A Seller's Best-Kept Secret

Do I have to fix everything on the inspection report in Virginia?

No. A repair request is a request. You can fix some items, offer a credit or a price change, or say no. What happens next depends on the inspection contingency in your contract.

Can a buyer back out after a home inspection in Virginia?

Often, yes, if the contract has an inspection contingency and the buyer follows its terms and deadlines. Your contract controls.

Is it better to make repairs or give the buyer a credit?

It depends on the repair, your timeline, and the buyer's loan. Simple fixes are often easier to just do. Bigger items, or ones where the buyer has their own plans, often work better as a credit. The buyer's lender has to confirm a credit works.

Can a seller refuse to make repairs after an inspection?

Yes. But if the buyer is inside the inspection contingency and you can't agree, they may be able to end the contract. Ask what happens under your contract before you answer.

What do home inspectors find most often in Midlothian and Chesterfield homes?

The items I hear about most are roofs, heating and air systems, crawl space moisture, and windows. Every house is different, and age and upkeep matter more than the neighborhood.

Is a pre-listing inspection worth it?

For the right house, yes. You learn what a buyer's inspector is likely to find, and you decide what to do about it before you're under contract. Here's more on what a home inspection covers: What Really Happens During a Home Inspection in Virginia?

Every inspection is different, because every house, buyer, and contract is different.

My job isn't to tell you to fix everything, or to refuse everything. It's to help you answer five questions:

1. What did the inspector actually find?
2. How serious is it?
3. What does your contract allow?
4. What could each option cost you?
5. Which response gives you the best path to closing?

The goal isn't to win the home inspection. The goal is a smart decision about your sale, and getting to the closing table without developing an eye twitch.

If you're under contract and staring at a repair request, or you're thinking about selling and want to get ahead of this, call or text me at (804) 381-1628, or send me a message.

Christine Case is a REALTOR® with NextHome Advantage in Midlothian, Virginia, helping buyers and sellers in Chesterfield County and Metro Richmond understand their options before they make a move.

Christine Case | REALTOR® | NextHome Advantage | Midlothian, VA

Knowledge Makes Cents.

This article is general real estate information, not legal advice. Inspection rights, deadlines, and remedies depend on the terms of your contract. For legal questions, talk with a Virginia real estate attorney.