Inspection Objections:
What Should I Ask For?

May 30, 2024

The real estate market is ever-changing, and most people realize that. That is why the first question everyone asks a realtor is: How is the market? We are seeing things in our current market that we didn’t see back in 2020, 2021, and the first half of 2022, which was the height of the market. One of the areas we are seeing a big difference in is the amount of items buyers are asking to have repaired/replaced after doing their inspections. Let’s dig deeper into this topic.

If you have read recent TK Homes blogs, you already know that there is more inventory now across the Denver metro area. This means that buyers have more choices, which means buyers are more likely to terminate if they don’t get what they are hoping for during the inspection period or if lots of surprises come up during inspections. When a buyer does inspections, it costs them money. By the time a buyer pays for a general inspection, and radon and sewer inspections, they are most probably paying over $750 for those inspections. If they terminate, they will lose that money and have to pay for these same inspections on another home. Most buyers will not want to intentionally lose money. If a seller is willing to work with the buyer regarding inspection items and if a buyer’s requests after inspections are reasonable, this will benefit both parties, and there will potentially not be a termination due to inspection items. Below I will get into more details about expectations when asking for items to be repaired/replaced after doing an inspection.

The formal name for asking for things to be done after an inspection is called an Inspection Objection. When asking for things in an Inspection Objection, the recommendation is to start with health and safety items. Usually, this information is at the top of a buyer’s inspection report in the summary section. If there are things that could be dangerous if not fixed or a health hazard, then a buyer would want to ask for those items to be addressed. An example of this would be if there is a high radon level after the inspector does a radon test (high meaning over 3.9 pCi/L); then, asking for a radon system to remediate the situation would be logical.

There are certain items that are usually expected to be in good working order when anyone buys a home. The roof is expected to be functional, the sewer system should not have cracks and should be clean, the HVAC system should be in working order (some homes may not have AC), there should not be a concern that any wiring will catch on fire, radon levels should be below 3.9 pCi/L, and water heaters should be working. If there are concerns with any of these items, it would be appropriate to ask for them to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced as determined by the inspection. Something to keep in mind is that if something is at end of life but still working, a buyer is most likely not going to be able to get a seller to replace that item/system. For example, if the furnace is at end of life, the seller may be willing to do a cleaning or repair but likely not buy a new one.

Another area to consider is appliances. A buyer would expect the refrigerator and stove to be functioning property. If they aren’t, it would be reasonable to ask for them to be repaired or replaced (if they cannot be repaired). However, most sellers will not just upgrade them  or buy new ones when they can be repaired. Certain things like a washer and dryer may not be something a seller is willing to repair because they are considered personal property and not always included when selling the home.

In the current market we are in, there is the opportunity for buyers to ask for more things in their Inspection Objections. That does not mean buyers can be unrealistic and ask for things like paint, new carpet, remediation of negative grading, etc. Also, no matter what is asked for, some sellers will push back or refuse to pay to have things repaired or replaced. Every seller has their own motivation for selling, and some sellers may decide they would rather let a buyer terminate than pay to have some things on the Inspection Objection completed.

In order to get the most out of your Inspection Objection, remember to be realistic and focus on health and safety issues and the big-ticket items we discussed above. If you do that, the seller will potentially take your requests more seriously, and you can get more of the things you asked for completed. Although this may sound tricky to navigate, don’t worry because, at TK Homes, we are on top of the market and understand how to get the most for our clients when writing our Inspection Objections, no matter the market. Contact a TK Homes agent today, and let us help you get the best possible outcome after you do your inspections.

~ Written by TK Homes REALTOR® Mary Smith