Why Sellers Lose S$$ After Going Under Contract

Most sellers don’t realize this until it happens to them, but the inspection period is where deals fall apart and where sellers lose thousands of dollars they never planned for.

It happens all the time. A seller gets a strong offer, celebrates, and finally feels like the hard part is over. YES! But then the buyer’s inspection report comes back, and it’s like the reset button on negotiations just got pushed a thousand times. If your home isn’t prepared before it hits the market, inspections commonly turn into round two of negotiating, but worse, because now the buyer has all the leverage.

Most sellers fix up the visible areas of their home but skip the systems buyers’ inspectors actually focus on, like HVAC, roofing, plumbing, electrical, and the foundation/structure. If there’s a hidden issue in any of these home systems, the buyer’s inspector will find it. After that, every issue becomes either a repair or a price reduction, all of which chip away at your profit.

I never want my sellers to experience this, so I always recommend following these 5 steps:

1. Schedule a pre-listing walkthrough. Before we list your home, I’ll do a pre-listing walkthrough to identify your home’s strengths and any issues that need to be repaired before listing.

2. Fix small repairs and deferred maintenance. I’ll help you identify the highest ROI repairs so you can get your home in great shape before listing.

3. Service your HVAC and handle basic exterior touch-ups. Buyers care WAY more about clean, maintained systems than perfect decor, so we’ll focus on the systems.

4. Consider a pre-inspection, especially if your home is older. It will show you the issues that the buyer’s inspection will find, so you can either disclose them or fix them up, which gives you way more leverage.

5. Document upgrades and maintenance history. Buyers relax when they see a well-cared-for home with documentation, and confident buyers negotiate less!

Taking these steps will help you protect your equity and give you more leverage. If you’re thinking about selling in 2026 and want maximum profit, contact me directly  and I’ll send you my pre-inspection checklist and my seller prep list.