The inspection report tends to land at a bad moment. The offer was just accepted, moving plans are underway, and now there is a long document listing things you did not know about your own house. The first instinct is to fix everything so the deal holds, or refuse everything so you keep the money. The right answer is usually in between. How clearly and how fast you answer matters as much as what you agree to.
How the inspection subject works in BC
In BC, a buyer who wants an inspection usually writes it into the offer as a subject clause. The BC Financial Services Authority explains that the contract is binding once both sides sign, but the sale only goes ahead when the buyer's conditions are met. The buyer must make every reasonable effort to satisfy them. A subject clause is not an escape clause. When the buyer is satisfied, they remove the subject in writing. If a condition cannot be met after reasonable effort, the contract ends.
A few other BC rules shape the timing. A seller does not have to accept an offer with an inspection subject at all. Most home sales also carry a rescission period: the buyer can back out within three business days of acceptance by paying 0.25% of the price. BCFSA's rescission guide says subjects like an inspection run at the same time as that period.
You also may never see the report itself. BCFSA's guide to property inspections says a seller is not automatically entitled to a copy unless the contract says so. Often what reaches you is a list from the buyer's realtor. Whatever you agree to, a price change or a promised repair, ask your realtor to put it in writing as part of the deal.
How to sort home inspection repair requests
Not every item deserves the same answer. Most reports mix cosmetic notes, suggested upgrades and real safety items in one section, which is why they look scary. Sort the list before you reply to anyone.
Pile A: fix it or price it in
Anything about safety, anything that affects the structure or the main systems, and anything the inspector marked as needing attention now. Examples are a loose or missing handrail on the basement stairs, a roof leak, a dead smoke alarm, or a furnace that will not light. Refusing these puts the deal at risk.
Pile B: reasonable to negotiate
Items that are real but not urgent: a slow drain, older windows, a furnace that works but is near the end of its life. A price reduction often works better than a repair here, because the buyer can pick their own contractor and timing after possession.
Pile C: cosmetic or wrongly flagged
Cosmetic notes, items the inspector got wrong, and items you already disclosed. A hairline settling crack, dated paint, or an older bathroom fan that still works all fit here. Decline these politely, in writing, with any records that back you up.
Answer before the subject removal date
The deadline that matters is the subject removal date in your contract, and the buyer needs your answer well before it. The longer a list sits without a reply, the more room the buyer's worry has to grow. A clear written answer, item by item, shows you are reasonable. For each item, say whether you will repair it, lower the price for it, or decline it, and why.
Repair or lower the price: when each makes sense
Repairs work best when the job is small, quick and easy to see at the final walk-through. A tightened handrail, a new smoke alarm, fresh weather stripping or a recaulked tub all show the buyer the house was looked after. That bundle is home repairs in White Rock, home repairs in Cloverdale, or wherever the house sits in my area. Patched walls from removed shelves or old anchors fit too, like drywall repair in Abbotsford.
A price reduction works better when the job is large, the buyer may want to choose the product, or time is short. For a furnace replacement, lowering the price saves you booking a contractor under deadline pressure. It also lets the buyer choose the unit and the timing.
Some items are not mine to fix. Electrical work such as a failed GFCI outlet goes to a licensed electrician, gas work goes to a gas fitter, and roofs go to a roofer. I say so when I sort the list, so you can book the right trade in time.
Every job I take gets a written scope before I start, so the price is agreed in advance and the list stays the list.
Want me to take this one on? My page on home repairs covers what the visit includes, what I hand off, and how I price it.
Document everything you fix
Photos matter more here than on a normal repair. The buyer is being asked to trust that the work was done, and done properly. A before-and-after photo of each item, attached to an itemized invoice, answers that before the final walk-through. It removes the awkward moment when the buyer asks to see proof.
Next time, fix it before you list
Most of the items in pile A and pile C are cheaper to handle before the house goes on the market. My pre-listing repair checklist covers what to fix before photos and showings, so fewer items reach the buyer's list.
