The inspection that didn't kill the deal — but should have

by Scott Schilling

Most buyers treat a home inspection like a pass/fail test. It isn't. It's a disclosure document, and knowing how to read it is one of the most underused skills in a real estate transaction.

Here's what I see happen regularly. An inspection comes back with forty items. The buyer panics. The seller gets defensive. The deal stalls or falls apart over things that cost $300 to fix. Meanwhile, the two items that actually matter get buried in the noise. A compromised roof deck. A failing HVAC in a humid climate. Evidence of past water intrusion. Those are the things worth your attention.

The inspection report doesn't tell you what to negotiate. It tells you what to investigate further. Those are different things.

In Southwest Florida specifically, there are a handful of items I always flag regardless of what else is on the report. The age and condition of the roof relative to the insurance market here. Any sign of moisture in the soffit or fascia. The electrical panel brand. The HVAC service history. These four things affect insurability, carrying cost, and resale more than almost anything else on the list.

For sellers, the smarter move is a pre-listing inspection. Not to fix everything, but to know what's there before a buyer's inspector finds it under pressure. A known issue you've addressed or disclosed is a negotiating asset. An unknown issue discovered mid-contract is a deal problem.

One more thing buyers rarely ask: who hired the inspector? In most transactions, the buyer chooses. That's appropriate. But I've seen situations where an inspector is recommended by a party with an interest in the deal closing quickly. The inspector you hire should work for you, full stop. Ask how many inspections they do per week. If the answer is more than two per day, the math doesn't work in your favor.

The inspection phase is where informed buyers and sellers have the most leverage. Most people don't use it well.

If you have questions about how to read a report or what to prioritize on your next transaction, I'm happy to walk through it with you!