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Keep the request focused on material concerns
You generally should not request repairs for purely cosmetic preferences, ordinary upkeep, optional upgrades, or replacement based only on a component’s age. Also avoid demanding a specific repair for a condition whose cause or extent the inspection could not establish.
Why? A home inspection is a non-invasive visual examination of accessible areas, not a technically exhaustive diagnosis. Its report helps identify observed defects; it is not a seller’s renovation checklist.
Usually leave these items out:
- Taste and cosmetic choices: dated paint colors, worn but serviceable finishes, or landscaping preferences.
- Minor routine maintenance: simple cleaning, seasonal upkeep, and small adjustments that do not create a meaningful safety or property risk.
- Elective improvements: higher-end fixtures, added features, or upgrades beyond the home’s agreed condition.
- Age alone: an older working system does not automatically require replacement. InterNACHI’s standard says reaching the end of normal useful life is not, by itself, a material defect.
- Unconfirmed solutions: do not prescribe full replacement when the report only identifies a symptom or recommends further evaluation.
Why inspection limits change the request
Visual inspections cannot confirm concealed damage, every defect, a condition’s cause, or the exact repair method. The InterNACHI standard also excludes determining code compliance. Those limits make “repair everything in the report” both imprecise and potentially misleading.
Instead, describe the observed concern and the outcome needed. If the report notes moisture without locating its source, request qualified evaluation and correction of the verified cause rather than naming an unsupported fix. Clear terms matter: North Carolina’s real-estate regulator says referring only to an inspection-report item number is not enough.
Small does not always mean cosmetic
Do not dismiss a modest crack, stain, loose guard, or missing cover solely because it looks minor. If it may indicate structural movement, active moisture, electrical exposure, or a fall hazard, keep it in the discussion until its significance is understood.
Exceptions depend on the contract and transaction
Repair rights are contractual and jurisdiction-specific. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that a seller may or may not agree, depending on the purchase contract and local market. It also explains that some loan programs can require repairs as a financing condition.
Therefore, an item that would normally be a buyer preference may still matter if the contract, appraisal, lender, insurer, or local rule requires action. Conversely, a report recommendation does not automatically obligate the seller. North Carolina guidance, for example, describes repairs under its due-diligence form as negotiable.
Practical bottom line
Prioritize conditions affecting safety, structure, active water entry, or essential system function. Separate cosmetic changes and routine ownership tasks, then obtain specialist input where the inspection identifies a concern but cannot establish its scope. Before sending the request, confirm deadlines and remedies in the actual purchase contract with the appropriate real-estate or legal professional.
