You priced it right, the photos looked great, and you accepted a strong offer on your West Valley home. Then your agent mentions the inspection period is starting, and a familiar knot shows up in your stomach. What can the buyer ask you to fix? Do you have to say yes? And how do you keep a good deal from unraveling over a list of items you've lived with happily for years?
If it's been a while since you last sold, this is usually the part that feels the murkiest. The good news: in Arizona, this stretch of the deal runs on a specific, predictable process built around one form and one clock. Once you understand both, the inspection period stops feeling like a threat and starts feeling like a negotiation you can actually manage. Here's how it works, and how I coach North Peoria and West Valley sellers through it.
The inspection period: what the buyer's really entitled to
Arizona's standard resale purchase contract gives the buyer a window — 10 days by default, though it can be negotiated shorter or longer — to inspect the home and investigate anything that matters to them. That clock starts when the contract is accepted. During this window the buyer can hire a general home inspector, plus specialists for the roof, pool, HVAC, sewer line, termites, or anything else they want a closer look at.
One thing that surprises a lot of sellers: the buyer has the right to inspect even if the deal was written "as-is." As-is in Arizona doesn't mean the buyer waived their look — it mostly shapes what happens after the inspection, not whether one happens. So expect the inspection, and expect a report. What you do next is where the strategy lives.
Meet the BINSR — the form that runs this part of the deal
After the buyer inspects, they don't just email you a wish list. In Arizona they use a specific form: the BINSR, short for the Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response. It's the document that formally moves the deal forward at this stage, and it gives the buyer three choices:
- Accept the home as-is and move on toward closing.
- Disapprove and cancel — walk away during the inspection period, which generally means their earnest money is returned.
- Ask you to correct items — hand you a list of things they'd like addressed and give you the chance to respond.
Most of the time you'll see the third option: a BINSR listing items the buyer wants corrected. That's not a demand you're forced to meet — it's the opening of a conversation, and the form is built to give you a formal say.
The clock: how the "10 / 5 / 5" timeline works
The reason this stage moves quickly is that each step is on a timer. Agents call it the "10/5/5," and it's worth knowing as a seller so you're never caught flat-footed:
- 10 days — the buyer's inspection period to inspect and deliver the BINSR (default length; confirm your contract's exact dates).
- 5 days — your window, as the seller, to respond once you receive the BINSR.
- 5 days — the buyer's window after your response to accept it or cancel.
Two details inside that clock matter a lot. First, once you and the buyer agree — meaning the buyer accepts your response — you can't withdraw your response afterward. So don't offer a repair in the heat of the moment that you're not prepared to follow through on. Second, if you agree in writing to everything the buyer asked for, the buyer generally loses the ability to cancel through the BINSR over those items. Saying yes to it all can actually be the move that locks the buyer in — a genuinely useful lever when you want certainty.
What you're actually responsible for as a seller
This is the part that relieves most sellers. Arizona's current standard contract treats the home as "as-is" as of the date both sides sign. In plain terms: you are not automatically obligated to make repairs just because an inspector wrote them down. The buyer can ask; you can say yes, no, or somewhere in between.
There's an important flip side, though. You are responsible for delivering the home in substantially the same condition it was in on the day the contract was accepted. So if the AC quits, the water heater fails, or a monsoon storm cracks a window during escrow, restoring it is on you — that's not a repair "request," it's keeping your end of the deal. Newer versions of the contract have leaned further into as-is and away from older blanket seller warranties, so don't assume this works the way it did the last time you sold years ago — confirm the current form with your agent.
A quick gut-check on where you usually stand:
- Old, disclosed, and still working (an aging but functioning water heater, cosmetic wear): typically not your obligation.
- Broke during escrow (AC dies after acceptance): your responsibility to restore to acceptance-date condition.
- True safety or health items (exposed wiring, gas leak, active roof leak): worth addressing — they'll follow the home to the next buyer and can affect the appraisal or the buyer's lender.
- Preference and "while you're at it" items (upgrade requests, cosmetic wishes): negotiable, and often where you hold your ground.
Because contract terms, timelines, and the current form can change, and because every property is different, verify the specifics of your situation with your agent — and treat this as general information, not legal advice.
How to respond without blowing up the deal
When the BINSR lands, resist the urge to react to the whole list at once. You have real options, and the strongest sellers use them deliberately:
Agree to specific repairs
Best for clear safety issues or anything a buyer's lender or appraiser is likely to flag anyway. If you're going to fix it, use a licensed contractor and keep the receipts — clean documentation prevents a second round of back-and-forth.
Offer a credit or price adjustment instead
Often the seller's best friend. Rather than manage contractors on your timeline while you're trying to move, you offer the buyer a closing-cost credit or a small price reduction and let them handle the work after closing on their terms. It caps your cost, removes the "was it done right?" argument, and frequently satisfies the buyer faster than a repair would.
Decline, or counter with a partial response
You can decline items you don't believe are your responsibility, or agree to some and decline others. Just know the trade-off: if you don't agree to everything, the buyer gets their 5-day window to accept your response or cancel. That's the real question to weigh on every item — not "is this fair?" but "is this the hill that's worth risking the buyer over?"
The mindset that keeps deals together: separate the two or three items that genuinely affect safety, financing, or the home's condition from the handful that are really preferences. Address the first group cleanly, negotiate the second, and let the paperwork — not the emotion — carry it.
A West Valley example
Picture a couple selling their established home in a North Peoria community like Fletcher Heights to move up to a larger lot near Lake Pleasant. Their buyer's inspection comes back with fourteen items. Reading it cold, it feels like the buyer hated the house. Sorted out, it's really three real issues — a GFCI outlet that isn't tripping correctly, a water heater strap that isn't to code, and roof flashing lifting near a valley — plus eleven notes about cosmetic wear, an older-but-working dishwasher, and "recommend servicing the HVAC." The sellers agree to the three condition items, offer a modest credit in lieu of the HVAC servicing, and decline the cosmetic list with a short explanation. The buyer accepts, the deal stays on track, and it's resolved inside the response window, because the sellers answered the report that mattered, not the one their nerves wrote.
Get ahead of it before you ever list
The calmest inspection responses belong to sellers who did a little homework up front. Before you go active, run through this:
- Consider a pre-listing inspection. Knowing what a buyer's inspector will likely find lets you fix, price, or disclose on your own timeline instead of under a 5-day clock.
- Handle the obvious safety items now — GFCI outlets, smoke and CO detectors, a loose handrail, a visible roof or plumbing leak.
- Service the big-ticket systems and keep the paperwork: HVAC (it works hard in West Valley summers), roof, pool equipment, water heater.
- Fill out your disclosure honestly and completely. Surprises during escrow cost you leverage; disclosed items rarely do.
- Gather your records — permits, warranties, and receipts for past work — so you can answer questions with documents, not guesses.
The bottom line
The inspection period isn't the moment your sale falls apart — it's a structured negotiation with a clear form and a clear clock. You're not on the hook for every line an inspector writes, you have several ways to respond, and a calm, specific answer almost always beats an emotional one. Know the 10/5/5, know what you actually owe, and decide in advance which items are worth defending.
Thinking about selling a West Valley home and want to walk into the inspection period already knowing your game plan? Schedule a friendly consultation with Stephanie White and we'll build a simple, step-by-step strategy for your specific home and move.
Stephanie White, REALTOR® — Howe Realty Group, LLC. Serving Peoria, North Peoria, and the West Valley. This article is general information, not legal advice; because contract terms, timelines, and forms can change, verify the details for your specific transaction with your agent.
Frequently asked questions
Does the seller have to make repairs after a home inspection in Arizona?
No, not automatically. Arizona's standard resale contract is essentially "as-is" as of the date of acceptance, so you're not obligated to fix items just because they're in the inspection report. The buyer can request repairs on the BINSR, and you can agree, offer a credit, or decline. The main exception: you must keep the home in substantially the same condition it was in when the contract was accepted, so anything that breaks during escrow is on you to restore. Verify specifics with your agent.
What is a BINSR?
The BINSR — Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response — is the Arizona form the buyer uses after inspecting. It lets them accept the home, cancel, or ask you to correct items, and it gives you a formal place to respond. It's the document that moves the deal forward through the inspection period.
How long does the seller have to respond to the BINSR?
Five days from receiving it, under the standard contract. After your response, the buyer has their own five days to accept it or cancel. Combined with the default 10-day inspection period, that's the "10/5/5" timeline. Always confirm your contract's exact dates, since the inspection period is negotiable.
Can the buyer cancel and get their earnest money back after the inspection?
Generally yes — if the buyer disapproves and cancels within the inspection period, or cancels within their five-day window after a seller response they don't accept, the earnest money is typically returned. That's exactly why answering the BINSR thoughtfully matters. Confirm how your contract handles it with your agent.
If I agree to all the buyer's requested repairs, can they still cancel over those items?
Usually not through the BINSR. If you agree in writing to correct everything the buyer asked for, they generally lose the ability to cancel via the BINSR over those items — which is why saying "yes to all" can be a smart move when you want to lock the buyer in. Once the buyer accepts your response, you also can't withdraw it, so only offer what you'll actually do.
Is it better to make repairs or offer a credit?
It depends on the item, but many West Valley sellers prefer a credit or price adjustment. It caps your cost, avoids arguments over whether the work was done "right," and lets the buyer handle it after closing — often faster than coordinating contractors while you're trying to move. Safety and lender-flagged items are usually better to fix outright.
Should I get a pre-listing inspection before selling my West Valley home?
It's often worth it, especially on an older or well-loved home. Knowing what a buyer's inspector will likely find lets you fix, price, or disclose on your own schedule instead of reacting under a five-day clock — and it removes the surprises that cost you negotiating leverage during escrow.
