The home inspection report is a tangible, delivered output that results from the inspecting procedure and the goods that the client\’s money pays for. This inspection report should matter in a meaningful way, should make the effort worth the expense. It should facilitate client decisions regarding the real estate transaction under consideration, whether to proceed towards closing, whether to request that uncovered defects be repaired, whether to negotiate a new price. The report should also furnish useful information applicable as both a short-term and long-term property manual. This article discusses how an inspection report relates to home inspector reputation, how it should be formatted, and preferences about its organization.

Ask for an inspection report sample from any inspectors being considered. Setting sample reports side by side is the ideal way to distinguish good inspectors from better ones. Some inspectors produce little more than a fancy checklist that lacks explanatory material or pictures. This doesn\’t furnish sufficient perspective, doesn\’t put defects in a large-picture context or speculate about their possible interaction. Inspectors who feature on-site report printing sacrifice important details and individualization for rapid turnaround, regardless of how thorough their inspection was. Better is someone who documents evidence with care during the home inspection and then spends time mulling over that evidence, possibly researching relative issues. He thus writes an extensive report with clear narrative, illustrative photographs, backup material, and references that enable the customer to dig deeper if desired. Be sure to review sample reports prior to hiring an inspector.

Review the report for formatting. Look for a summary that focuses on the most serious issues and for a body that documents all findings in complete detail. Each item should follow the FIR protocol, which stands for Finding-Implication-Recommendation. This means that the item should cite a particular defect, spell out what ramifications it has, and advise one or more ways to remedy it. By furnishing such a lucid and straightforward representation of the house condition when the inspection took place, this format allows the client to make educated and deliberate plans for how to move forward. It also gives him a baseline evaluation that he can refer to easily when the state of the house changes and problems are fixed.

Also review the way the inspection report is organized. The more intelligible and easy to be searched it is, the handier it will serve as a long-term manual for the budding homeowner. Check out whether it is simple to locate at a glance a specific location, system, or kind of defect. Does the grouping of information make sense? Are levels of concern indicated with a shorthand notation such as graphical icons or symbols, and, if so, does the legend render their meaning transparently? The four main categories of symbols are safety, defect, pest-related, and evaluation; within each category there should be several degrees of seriousness represented.

By delving into sample reports for thoroughness of content, formatting conventions, and organization, the customer can single out a home inspector who wants to do right by his clients by producing an inspection report that truly matters.

John W. Gordon is a licensed home inspector who works out of Bellingham, Washington. John\’s Dr. Inspector business consistently produces a comprehensive home inspection report within twenty-four hours. See details at his website, www.HomeInspectionWA.net.

John W. Gordon is a licensed home inspector who works out of Bellingham, Washington. John\’s Dr. Inspector business consistently produces a comprehensive home inspection report within twenty-four hours. See details at his website, http://www.HomeInspectionWA.net.

Author Bio: John W. Gordon is a licensed home inspector who works out of Bellingham, Washington. John\’s Dr. Inspector business consistently produces a comprehensive home inspection report within twenty-four hours. See details at his website, www.HomeInspectionWA.net.

Category: Real Estate
Keywords: home inspection, home inspector, home inspection report, inspection report, sample inspection report