{"id":17666,"date":"2025-01-31T13:42:34","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T21:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=17666"},"modified":"2025-05-30T07:25:54","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T14:25:54","slug":"what-fixes-are-mandatory-after-a-home-inspection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-fixes-are-mandatory-after-a-home-inspection\/","title":{"rendered":"What Fixes Are Mandatory After a Home Inspection (If Any)?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Your to-do list when you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/steps-to-selling-a-house\/\">sell your home<\/a> is already sizable by the time you arrange for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-a-home-inspection\/\">home inspection<\/a>. So when an inspector lists a host of issues that might or might not surprise you, do you have to tackle all of those? What fixes are mandatory after a home inspection?<\/p>\n<p>Although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/sites\/default\/files\/2025-01\/2024-12-realtors-confidence-index-01-24-2025.pdf\">20% of buyers waived inspection contingency<\/a>, you may still be obligated to resolve certain issues, depending on your state\u2019s and the buyer\u2019s lender\u2019s policies. In this article, we outlined which fixes are mandatory, who pays for them, what happens if you refuse to make repairs, and other common concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Prepare for a home inspection with a top-rated agent<\/h3>\n                        <p>HomeLight has analyzed over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent is best for you based on your needs. It takes just two minutes to match clients with the best real estate agents, who will help you be ready for your home inspection.<\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 1\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/find-agent\/quiz\/seller?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Find Agent<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"section--1\" data-toc-header=\"What fixes are mandatory for a seller to make?\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>What fixes are mandatory for a seller to make?<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cMandatory\u201d fixes can vary depending on where you live, the state of the market, the buyer\u2019s lender, and the language of your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-is-a-purchase-agreement\/\">purchase agreement<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-do-home-inspectors-look-for\/\">Home inspectors<\/a> look for anything structurally or mechanically deficient, unsafe, not functioning properly, or not in accordance with a state\u2019s standards. Typically, this covers seven major areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-with-water-damage\/\">Water damage<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Structural issues<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Old or damaged roofing<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Damaged or old electrical system<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Plumbing problems<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Insect and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-with-mice\/\">pest infestation<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Issues with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-much-value-does-central-air-add-to-home\/\">HVAC system<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In addition, some states require inspectors to check for certain items. Nebraska law mandates that a home should have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors at the time of sale, for instance, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/matt-steinhausen-6779511a\">Matt Steinhausen<\/a>, an independent home inspector since 1999 in Lincoln, Nebraska, who holds an A+ rating from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbb.org\/us\/ne\/lincoln\/profile\/home-inspection\/steinhausen-home-inspections-0714-300049671\">Better Business Bureau<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Otherwise, what\u2019s mandatory comes down to the purchase agreement and what the buyer\u2019s lender requires, our experts say. For instance, purchasers using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-much-house-can-i-afford-fha\/\">FHA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-va-loan\/\">VA<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-apply-for-a-usda-loan\/\">USDA<\/a> loans each have particular requirements.<\/p>\n<p>In general, lender-required repairs encompass a home\u2019s major components and anything that might affect living conditions: structural defects (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-with-foundation-issues\/\">foundation cracks<\/a>, roof leaks), inoperable or faulty systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing), and so on, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/agents\/neal-team-tx-608871\">Neal Team\u2019s<\/a> Shane Neal, a veteran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/san-antonio-tx\/top-real-estate-agents\">agent in the San Antonio, Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are some cases where there can still be a little bit of negotiation, but ultimately, the seller is asked to fix those so that the buyer can get financing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Unresolved major repair issues can mess with a buyer\u2019s loan approval and the appraisal process, causing delays or even killing the deal. Lenders want homes to meet basic safety and structural standards, so things like a leaky roof or faulty wiring can lead to a lower appraisal or loan denial. If the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-often-do-home-appraisals-come-in-low\/\">appraisal comes in too low<\/a>, the buyer might have to renegotiate, ask for repairs, or back out completely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What fixes are mandatory after a home inspection? The short answer? It depends on your location, the state of the market, and the purchase agreement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":53813,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[428,322],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-inspections","category-logistics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Fixes Are Mandatory After a Home Inspection (If Any)?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What fixes are mandatory after a home inspection? The short answer? 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