Type of floor in living room an inspection item?

I have just sold a home and had to bargain a lower selling price due to the fact the inspector had commented that the living room floor had no carpet. I had removed the carpet purposely so that my wife's allergies would improve. The subfloor was dense particleboard 3/4 thick in very good condition. I hired a carpenter to fill all the nail holes, level the imperfect seams with floor patch. Then he sanded it smooth and applied a coat of interior primer with two topcoats of high quality deck and porch enamel. The resulting floor was beautiful, not a defect or blemish to be seen. We then decided to leave the floor as it was because my wife liked the salmon color and it seemed to make the room larger and more cheerful.

The buyer knew that the floor was finished to suit our tastes. However, the inspector commented that the room needed a carpet! Not any other kind of covering, but a CARPET!. Why? the buyer used this comment to bargain down my price. I did accept the price because I did not want to prolong the deal. However I am being told by several people that the inspector had no reason to make mention of a floor that was finished without need of repair. This is making me very suspicious that the buyer had mentioned to the inspector to include a comment on the floor in order to bargain a lower price, which I think is totally unethical and not within the purview of the inspection's purpose. I am considering hiring a lawyer to get this straightened out. I need to be re-imbursed for the cost of carpeting which was deducted from my agreed upon price.

Comments? Was the inspector justified in specifying a floor covering? Why carpeting? Why not another material? What is going on here?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 01/01/2019 04:23 PM EST

Unless you know first-hand what was said, and to whom it was stated, you're really just guessing what may have been in the report.

Were you not represented by an agent in this transaction? Almost everything is negotiable, and it appears you had an opportunity to negotiate the terms of your sale. So if you didn't want to lower the price (for whatever reason) that's entirely your decision. Consult with your sales agent and ask for details. Many loans or mortgages require a finished floor covering, and exposed sub-floor may have been an issue at some point.

And while I'm no attorney, I imagine the die has been cast, and you already had your bite of the apple. And how much could one of carpeting even cost anyhow?

Dom.