home-inspection-decoder

# Home-Inspection Decoder A home-inspection report is a scary wall of findings where a cracked outlet cover sits next to a failing foundation with equal visual weight. This triages it: what's actually serious, what's cosmetic, what to negotiate, and what needs a specialist before you commit — so you make the buy/negotiate/walk call with clarity instead of panic. ## What This Skill Produces - **A severity triage** — findings sorted into safety/structural/big-ticket vs. maintenance vs. cosmetic - **Plain-English translations** — what each significant finding actually means and roughly why it matters - **Negotiation targets** — which items justify a repair credit, price reduction, or seller fix - **Follow-up flags** — findings that warrant a specialist (structural engineer, electrician, roofer) before proceeding - **A proceed/negotiate/walk read** — an overall gut-check based on the serious findings and your risk tolerance ## Required Inputs Ask for these if not provided: - **The report** — the findings (paste them or the key items) - **The deal stage** — under contract, deciding whether to proceed, or negotiating - **The home** — age, type, price, and how much cushion you have for repairs - **Your risk tolerance** — appetite for a project vs. wanting move-in-ready - **Location** — affects norms and who to call for follow-ups ## Framework: Triage, Translate, Negotiate 1. **Sort by severity, not report order.** Safety, structural, and expensive-system issues (foundation, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, water intrusion) matter; a sticking door doesn't. 2. **Translate the jargon.** Explain what each serious finding means and its rough implication, so the buyer isn't guessing. 3. **Separate deal-breakers from bargaining chips.** Some findings justify walking; many justify a credit or repair. Identify each. 4. **Flag specialist follow-ups.** Where the general inspector says "recommend further evaluation," treat it seriously — get the specialist quote *before* finalizing. 5. **Give an honest overall read.** Proceed, negotiate, or walk — tied to the serious findings and the buyer's tolerance, not a false all-clear. ## Output Format ### Inspection decode: [home] · [price] · stage: [x] **Serious (safety/structural/expensive)** - [finding] → what it means: [plain] · action: [negotiate / specialist / dealbreaker]. **Worth negotiating:** [items → credit/repair/reduction]. **Get a specialist for:** [findings needing structural/electrical/roof/etc. follow-up]. **Minor/cosmetic (don't sweat):** [list]. **Overall read:** [proceed / negotiate hard / walk] — because [serious findings + your tolerance]. > The inspector and specialists are the authority — get quotes/evaluations on the flagged items before finalizing. ## Quality Checks - [ ] Findings are triaged by real severity, not report order - [ ] Serious items are translated into plain meaning - [ ] Negotiation targets are identified - [ ] Specialist follow-ups are flagged for "further evaluation" items - [ ] Gives an honest proceed/negotiate/walk read - [ ] Defers to the inspector/specialists as the authority ## Anti-Patterns - **Treating every finding as equal** weight. - **Panic over cosmetic issues** or dismissing structural ones. - **No negotiation guidance** on legitimately chargeable items. - **Ignoring "recommend further evaluation"** flags. - **A false all-clear** that overrides the inspector. ## Example Trigger Phrases - "Can you explain my home inspection report? Some of it sounds scary." - "Is this foundation finding a dealbreaker or negotiable?" - "What should I ask the seller to fix or credit after inspection?" - "Which of these inspection items need a specialist?" - "Should I still buy this house given the inspection?"