My inspection report came back with 27 pages of notes and I almost walked away

Last Tuesday in Austin, our inspector found a cracked foundation beam and mold in the attic. My realtor said 'this is a $15,000 fix, minimum' and my stomach just dropped. We spent the whole week getting quotes and negotiating with the seller, who finally agreed to cover half the cost. Has anyone else had a major issue pop up and managed to save the deal?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara_patel22d ago

That "27 pages of notes" would make anyone's head spin, but you got them to cover half? That's a win. Did you ever stop to wonder if the inspector was being overly careful to avoid getting sued later? Sometimes they list every tiny thing, and it makes a house seem way worse than it is. You have to figure out what's actually urgent versus what's just a note for your records.

miles_fisher22d ago

Yeah, that's exactly what happened with my sister's place. The report flagged a cracked outlet cover as a "safety hazard" and made the whole electrical system sound scary. It was just a two dollar piece of plastic. We spent days stressing over the big list before realizing most of it was just the inspector writing down every single scratch. You really have to read between the lines.

smith.anna20d ago

Yeah, that cracked outlet cover thing is a good example, but it's not just about being careful to avoid a lawsuit. A crack can let dust in or expose the screws, and a kid could poke something in there. It's a real, cheap fix, but it's not a made up problem. The trick is knowing which notes are about actual risk and which are just cosmetic. Like, a wobbly handrail is a big deal, but a scratch on a floorboard is just a note.