A Tampa home inspection is supposed to alert you things in the home that need repairs or those that are in good working order. The inspection is normally done prior to closing so you can make your final decision on whether or not the home is right for you. It might be easy to get a Tampa home inspection report back and have a minor meltdown looking at the list of repairs and damages to your potential new home, but don’t jump there yet. Take enough time to ask questions and review your report before you start to panic so you don’t miss out.

When you get your Tampa home inspection report back, go through and make notes on anything you don’t understand. List out the major repairs that need to be done immediately and price that out. Remember that not every repair listed in the report will need to be taken care of right away, so this can give you some financial wiggle room. Your next step is to talk with your real estate agent and determine what, if any, repairs you can request the seller to take care of.  If this is the case, your seller may do the repairs prior to closing or provide you with a credit so you can repair them yourself once you close.

For those items that you will need to repair yourself, shop around to get quotes from contractors and repairmen. This will give you a good gauge on if the home’s needs are simply out of your budget. The main reason you shouldn’t panic is because it is not too late to withdraw your offer. At the home inspection stage, especially for those homes that are pending with contingencies, you have not signed a contract or made any sale, so you can still pass on the home and find something you are more comfortable with.

Home inspections can be terrifying to new and old buyers alike, especially when they turn up less-than-good news. If your inspection report has a few red flags, don’t run away just yet; review the report, call in some professionals, and see what you can afford.