You’re under contract on a Long Island home and your inspection just came back with significant findings. What now? Here’s exactly how this plays out.
Step 1: Understand Your Options
If you have an inspection contingency — which you should — you have three basic options after receiving an unsatisfactory inspection report: negotiate with the seller, accept the property as-is, or exit the contract without penalty. The contingency is your protection. Don’t let urgency or emotional attachment push you into closing on something that isn’t right.
Step 2: Separate Serious Issues from Minor Findings
Not every finding in a report is worth fighting over. Categorize: What’s a safety issue? What’s expensive to fix? What’s standard maintenance? Only bring the first two categories to the negotiating table.
Step 3: Get Real Repair Estimates
Before negotiating, get actual contractor quotes for the major items. Walking in with real numbers — not inspector estimates — makes your negotiation position credible and defensible. It also prevents you from over-asking on something that’s cheaper than you feared.
Step 4: Make a Strategic Ask
Focused requests get better results. Ask for a credit equal to fair repair cost on the two or three issues that matter most. Sellers respond better to specific, reasonable asks than to laundry lists.
Start with a thorough inspection. Book The Inspection Boys at homeinspectionsli.com.
