What to Do When a Home Inspection Turns Up Repair Requests
How Maine Sellers Use Fast-Turnaround Repairs to Keep a Sale on Track
An accepted offer is a relief — right up until the inspection report comes back with a list of repair requests and a deadline attached to the purchase and sale agreement. This is one of the most common points where a Maine home sale stalls or falls apart entirely, and it's also one of the most fixable, if the seller can move quickly with the right contractor.
Briggs Contracting works with homeowners and real estate agents across Portland, Westbrook, and Southern Maine to turn around post-inspection repairs fast, before a contingency deadline puts the sale at risk.
Why Inspection Repair Requests Derail So Many Maine Home Sales
Most purchase agreements include an inspection contingency with a set window for the buyer to request repairs, renegotiate, or walk away. That window is typically measured in days, not weeks — which means a seller who can't line up a contractor quickly is negotiating from a weaker position, even over relatively minor items.
Common Repair Requests After a Home Inspection
Structural & Exterior Issues
Deck instability, siding damage, or foundation cracks are common inspection flags that buyers want addressed, or at minimum priced out, before closing.
Old Sheds, Pools, or Garages Flagged as Liabilities
Inspectors regularly flag aging structures — a shed with rot, an unused pool, a garage with a failing roof — not necessarily because they're required to be fixed, but because they represent risk a buyer doesn't want to inherit. In many cases, removal is faster and cheaper than repair.
Deferred Maintenance Items
Railings, walkways, minor rot, or small plumbing and electrical issues often show up on an inspection report as a long list of smaller items that, taken together, can still hold up a closing if left unaddressed.
How Fast-Turnaround Repairs Keep a Deal Together
Buyers and their agents are watching the calendar as closely as sellers are. A seller who responds to an inspection report with a clear plan and a contractor already scheduled signals that the deal is on track — while delays or silence tend to make buyers more anxious about walking away or renegotiating further.
How Briggs Contracting Works With Sellers and Agents Under Deadline
Because inspection contingency windows are short, post-inspection repair work needs a contractor who can assess, scope, and schedule quickly — not one working from a weeks-out booking calendar. Briggs Contracting coordinates directly with sellers and their listing agents to prioritize the repair items that matter most to the specific inspection report and contingency deadline in play.
A Practical Checklist for Responding to an Inspection Report
- Read the full report and the buyer's specific repair request — not every item flagged in an inspection ends up in the negotiated request
- Separate "repair" items from "remove" items — some flagged structures are better removed than fixed
- Get a contractor's assessment quickly, ideally within a day or two of receiving the request
- Confirm the timeline against your contingency deadline before agreeing to a repair plan
- Keep your agent in the loop so the buyer's side sees movement, not silence
FAQ
How quickly can repairs be completed after an inspection?
It depends on the scope, but Briggs Contracting prioritizes real estate deadline-driven repair work and can often turn around an assessment and start date within days of a request.
What if the inspection flags something that should be removed, not repaired?
That's common with aging structures like sheds, pools, or garages. Removal can often be faster and less expensive than repair, and it eliminates the liability concern entirely rather than just patching it.
Can you work directly with my real estate agent's timeline?
Yes. Briggs Contracting regularly coordinates directly with listing agents to schedule repair work around a contingency deadline.
What if the buyer's repair request list is long?
A long list can often be triaged — some items may be minor enough to skip, others addressed quickly, and structural or liability items prioritized first. A contractor assessment helps sort out what actually needs attention before the deadline.
Do you provide documentation of completed repairs for the closing?
Yes, documentation of completed work can be provided to support the closing process and confirm the agreed-upon repairs were completed.
Facing a tight inspection repair deadline? Call Briggs Contracting at (207) 939-7807 or email office@briggscontractingmaine.com to get repairs scheduled fas
