Please ask a dozen home inspectors or create a dozen bakeries if you want, what is a good home inspection report and 12 or 13 responses may simply be obtained. Well, maybe the reaction wouldn’t be that different, but you get the basic view… there wouldn’t nearly definitely be a consensus unanimity. Due to the fact that individual home inspection reports are not produced similarly, just as with individual home inspectors…one report is not completely (let me repeat this report for insistence). Not just like the next one…no matter what content or quality.

The excellent home inspection report has many diverging views and the vast number of report forms and the variety of software packages that serve to generate reports demonstrate this. After having spent over 15 years in the domestic inspection business, in triplicate (three copies…press hard, please) when computers are not involved in the process, I was able to create written (gulp…yes, handwritten) reports utilising carbon copy report forms. Actually, I must have been dragged, not quite literally by my hair…but nearly… kicking and shouting, into what I will call the current age of computers. In hindsight, this was a clear improvement (in most ways, anyway…I have yet to have my wrist “crash”…but I digress). As the owner of a Raleigh home inspection company, I have my own profession, what a good home inspection report is, and what a good home inspection report is.

Professional home inspectors vary in their view whether a report-type checklist should be utilised… or if a report-style narrative should be employed. In the former, difficulties or problems (I’ve never liked to mention issues as problems, even if the problem is a problem for someone, and maybe…) are sent to the viewer using ticked boxes. Lastly, problems are given with the narrative, which identifies each difficulty in writing. In fact, a mix of the two is the majority of reports. The combined reporting method is the one I like and suggest to other home inspectors; descriptive remark such as materials or kind of materials may be sent with a checkbox with the actual problems communicated with a narrative.

So what are the components that are needed to produce a decent home inspection report and deliver it?

It is important that the Inspector be experienced, knowledgeable of all associated issues and completely professionally involved in both the whole of the Home Inspection process before any discussions concerning the topic and from a client’s point of view (who is likely to rely on the contents of the report to make a well informed purchasing decision) In my view, this must be recognised as a certain need and must be regarded as a basis. The inspector should have an overall attitude of not just providing a professional inspection but also a great inspection experience for their customers. Of course, it has to be admitted here that if the house has really many grave problems, the experience may not at that moment appear to be so pleasant for the customer… but it is probably (or should be) the fault of the home itself and not the fault of the inspector. If the inspection of a particular house is less than a stellar report, the customer can reveal that the proverbial pit they buy and that their professional Home Inspector, and their excellent and most professionally manufactured home inspection report, are unable to afford any unforeseen or unanticipated cost of purchasing their house.

Every report must, of course, provide the customer value… at least a decent account of the status of the property. If this isn’t done in the report, it probably doesn’t value anything… even if it was free, it would be useless.

The Good Home Inspection Report should among other things:

It should be properly structured and presented, it should be reasonable to lay out and show it… it should be arranged to provide you, if you will, a kind of road map all over the house.

Write well… and be easy to comprehend, no matter if you have ever been to the actual property and regardless of your technical expertise. The report should be without a technical terminology that needs further explanation and should be concisely and clearly understood to the extent feasible. There is minimal overall benefit to an interpreted report

Provide sufficient information, explanation and guidance not just for the customer, but also for everyone engaged in transactions such as immobilising agents, lawyers, mortgage lenders etc.

Contain adequate but not too many digital pictures directly related to severe or important problems. A picture worth a thousand words has been stated… this is true of a home inspection report. Photographs make identifying and understanding any specific problem unmeasurably simpler. On the other hand, it is preferable to leave a report filled with pictures that provide a report no added value and are given as the filler material, or to supply an inspector with CYB (Cover Your Buttocks..) function

To be conveyed in simple but accurate language linguistically. There is no room for misspelling words, broken phrases and overall abuse of the English language in a professional home inspection report (or whatever language is appropriate). In my view, a report full of such flaws clearly reflects the professionalism of the inspector

It should be provided right away…if reportable problems are there, they should be presented in such a way that they are certainly problems. No soft shoeing…no song and dance…no Weast wording…simply speaking straight, precise descriptions and powerful comments. In addition, some comments should be given in order to explain why an issue is a problem and how to fix it or seek additional expert views about its repair.

Include a well-designed summary section… a part of the report that clearly identifies all major and possibly important problems. The Summary Section of the report should not contain information on the general aspects, suggestions for regular maintenance or advice on upgrading the property. This kind of information should definitely be included in the client’s report for the benefit of the customer…

Any prospective inspector should ask him what kind of report he produces…or he should be at all somewhat timid or reluctant to ask the inspector regarded for a sample of his inspection report. In this manner a customer will have a very clear notion of what the home inspector may anticipate. The kindergarten ryme… Patty Cake…Bakers Man…Bake Me A Cake As Fast As You Can…may have been wonderful for Mother Goose; but when it comes to home inspection and the report you may or may not want it as quickly as you can… but you definitely want to be as good as you can and most clearly!

If the Home Inspection Report has all previously mentioned components, a good inspection report and maybe an excellent inspection report are highly predicted. Does not this look up for the customer… and I might add that I should be allowed to get a very good home inspection report in return for their hard-earned dollars?