08/08/2026
There’s a phrase every thorough home inspector eventually hears:
“He’s too detailed. He scares the buyers.”
Sometimes a Realtor will refer an inspector several times—until buyers start asking questions about what’s actually in the report. Then suddenly the inspector is “too picky,” writes “too much,” or is making the transaction difficult.
Here’s the question nobody likes talking about:
What happens after closing when something goes wrong?
When a buyer discovers a major defect and asks, “Why wasn’t I told about this?” one of the first documents everyone looks at is the inspection report.
And guess whose name is on it?
The inspector’s.
That’s why I document what I see.
I’m not going to minimize a legitimate finding because it might complicate a transaction. I’m not going to leave something out because someone is worried the buyer will ask questions. And I’m certainly not going to take on additional professional liability just to make a deal easier to close.
An inspector can potentially be held responsible for defects that should reasonably have been identified and reported within the scope of the inspection. Realtors and sellers have their own professional and disclosure responsibilities depending on the circumstances.
That’s why everyone needs to stay in their lane and do their job.
The inspector identifies and documents.
The Realtor guides the transaction.
The appropriate contractor evaluates repairs and costs.
The buyer decides what they are willing to accept.
A buyer asking questions because of an inspection report isn’t a problem.
That’s the inspection doing exactly what they paid for.
With more than 30 years of construction experience, a general contracting background, code enforcement experience, and professional home inspection experience, I understand the difference between a maintenance item and something that deserves serious attention. My job isn’t to exaggerate deficiencies—but it isn’t to minimize them either.
At Insight Home Inspection Services, LLC, we’re not there to kill the deal, and we’re not there to protect the deal.
We’re there to protect the client with facts.
So if being thorough costs me a referral, I can live with that.
Because after closing, when the keys have changed hands, the commissions have been paid, and everyone has moved on, my inspection report still exists.
I’d much rather defend why I documented something than sit in a deposition trying to explain why I saw it and left it out.
Insight Home Inspection Services, LLC
Serving East & Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia
📞 423-395-2020
🌐 inspectedbyinsight.com
Every house has a story. We write the facts it tells.
Home inspection services in Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA. Over 5,000 inspections since 2014. 400+ item reports delivered in 24 hours.
