The condition of a house is a vital consideration before and after move-out or sale. It directly influences the property value/price, the rent amount you can request, your negotiation advantage, safety, and repair costs. To prepare for its impact as a homeowner or property manager, you need a structured inspection of the house before a client moves in or vacates. A well-thought-out checklist can help organize the different parts of the house you assess so that you can determine if damages warrant deductions from the tenant’s security deposit or if the house needs repairs before handing it over to the new occupants.
At WordLayouts, we have designed a home inspection checklist that contains dedicated sections with a list of items to check when inspecting a home. A checklist comes in handy whether you need to know the home’s condition beforehand so that you can address potential maintenance needs and have a strong negotiation tool when discussing price or rent adjustments. It provides a framework that you can consistently use to conduct thorough house inspections. It helps you minimize errors, prepare in advance, and reduce the inspection time. This way you can produce a simple but valuable report on the house’s condition that you can rely on to make informed decisions, such as whether to refund the security deposit.
How this Checklist to Conduct a Comprehensive Home Inspection
We have created this checklist to resolve your home inspection needs. It covers multiple aspects of the property, including exterior, interior, electrical system, plumbing, and more. We have tried to cover general items to inspect in a house, but they can vary with your needs; given that, we have made it completely editable so you can easily add the items and sections missing from the list. Here is a breakdown of each component and its significance in the overall objective of the checklist. Though comprehensive, it is not exhaustive, and again, you can tailor it to your unique inspection requirements.
Filing details
Filing details comprise information you can use for record keeping. This information introduces which property you are inspecting, who will undertake it, and when. To fill this section, identify the property by indicating its address, a specific inspection date, and the name of the person who requested the inspection and who undertook it. In the ‘prepared by’ section, you can include your name or company name (if you are a business).
Categories of Area/Item
The checklist outlines all the areas or items whose condition you need to assess within the house. This breakdown helps you narrow your focus on critical areas and items that jointly determine the overall condition of the house. The areas and items are grouped into seven broad categories based on major aspects of a house: exterior, interior, subspaces (attic, basement, and crawlspaces), electrical system, plumbing, garage, and safety features. Under each broad category, we have included the associated areas and items—for example, under the electrical system category, the items to assess include the service panel, circuit breakers/fuses, GFCI, electrical outlets, etc. Grouping or categorization helps you systematically inspect related areas and items at the same time and remain organized such that once you are done with one group you can move to the next.
Descriptions of inspection tasks
Descriptions are actionable tasks that state which element of the area or item you will assess so that you can know exactly what to look for. This helps clarify the steps to undertake so that you do not have to remember each task. The descriptions are brief but easy to understand.
Condition of area/item
The condition of an area or item can be good, ok, or bad to indicate the state. Use a tick to fill this section. If the area/item has no issues and is well-maintained, record ‘Good.’ Mark ‘Ok’ if it has minor wear and tear but functional. Indicate ‘Bad’ if it is not functional and needs to be replaced. You can use other qualifiers such as Excellent, Fair, Poor, etc. if befitting.
Inspection summary
The inspection summary highlights key findings, urgent issues, identified safety hazards, and overall insights of the inspection. It provides a quick grasp of the condition of the house without requiring you to go through each itemized task. Fill this section, as you undertake the inspection so that you do not forget crucial observations.
Recommendations
Recommendations indicate any actions you need to take to address issues you identify during the inspection. This is significant in defining the next steps after inspections. In this section, you can recommend repairs, replacements of items, or further consultations and evaluations. For example, you can recommend an expert-headed inspection. In addition, you can outline an implementation plan that prioritizes actions by urgency and the projected costs.
Sign off
Signing off the document verifies the completion inspection and authenticity of the document. You should sign and indicate the date of signing. It also provides a record of who assessed the property.
Available Formats
This checklist is available in MS Word (DOCX and DOTX), OpenDocument Text (ODT), and Google Docs file formats. These variations increase its accessibility via diverse applications. You can take advantage of each version’s unique features, like Google Docs’ share element. This can be helpful when you want to involve multiple professionals in developing the checklist by adding new line items you need to assess.
Important Points You Should Remember
This checklist is suitable for professional use, like inspection of rental residential properties. However, it should not substitute for or supersede the credibility of the reports of specialized professionals, such as building health and safety inspectors. For more detailed assessments and compliance with building codes and regulations, we recommend you consult experts.
