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Step 1
Narrative - A properly prepared home inspection report should be narrative and well written. The inspection report should describe exactly what the problems are in a clear language. Checklist reports will not be able to provide the purchaser with the information he or she needs about the problems that were found in the home. Checklist reports are often ambiguous, inconclusiveness is exactly what the buyer does not need when making such an important decision such as purchasing a property.
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Step 2
Detailed - Your home inspection report should give sufficient and accurate details of the issues, so that the potential purchaser and his/her lawyer will have an accurate depiction of the defects that exist in the home. Reports should describe the problems and indicate where the problem exists.
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Step 3
Easy to understand language - The report should be easy to understand. Simple language is better then technical language. As a home inspector you want the buyer to have an easy understanding of the conditions that exist in the home. Reports should keep things simple and not rely on technical jargon to seem more impressive. A well done report is one that the buyer can easily comprehend.
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Step 4
Personalized comments - The inspection report should give sufficient detail about the problems in the home. The report should be crafted specifically to the home that is inspected. Pre-written text can save you time but they remove the personalization of the report and the personal experience that your client needs.
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Step 5
Pictures - An above average home inspection report will also include photos of the issues and problems. Pictures can really bring out what words sometimes cant. The combination of a well written report and photos will allow for better decision making. Pictures make things clearer. Your client can also refer to the pictures later on and they will be less likely to forget the problems. Pictures allow for better discussion of the issues in the home.
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Step 6
Not vague - All problems should be clearly described. Reports should not use vague language. Your client should not have to decipher what a particular comment means. If its wrong its wrong if its damaged its damaged.
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Step 7
Summary- Consider including a summary page. The summary will not describe all of the issues but it will describe the major problems and defects that were identified in the home. The summer should state exactly what it is, it’s the home inspectors judgment of the major problems.
