Condition reports for homes come in many shapes and sizes, and if you perform home inspections, you will need to decide what format works best for you. The best way to decide the amount of information to include, and how to format that information, is to look at who will be reading it, and for what purpose it will be used. To be able to please every customer, you might want to consider offering several options for inspection reports, and allow your client to request what they need. This way you won’t run into the problem of being unable to fulfill the client’s needs. Here are some common features and types of property inspection reports for which customers may ask.
Checklist Inspection Reports
This is a common variety of inspection report, which is simple to produce, and can fill the basic requirements clients usually request. If your customer would like a report which covers all of the necessary areas, but doesn’t want to read through long paragraphs to find the information they need, then this is a great format to offer. You can list each area of the home as a separate section, like a bullet point, and then put a short condition status too. Often these statuses are one work, like good, fair, and poor. While these can be great for clients who need something fast and clean, this kind of report won’t allow you to go into detail about any problems that need to be addressed. For that, you would want to offer a narrative report.
Narrative Inspection Report
A narrative condition report allows you to get into detail about each area that is inspected. Each area that was inspected usually has a specific paragraph, where the condition found is explained thoroughly. This is much more effective for clients who need to know specifically what problems have been found, and how they can be remedied. A recommendation for repair is usually included after the damage is detailed, so that homeowners can get a good idea of the work that needs to be done. Narrative reports are extremely useful, provided a client wants detailed information that covers several pages. If someone is buying a new home, preparing to sell a home, or getting ready to remodel, a detailed report is probably what they are looking for.
Enhance Reports with Picture and Video
No matter which kind of report you provide, video and images can be included or sent alongside the document to give a more comprehensive result. If you choose to provide a checklist report, these additions can help add detail to vague condition statuses, and allow the reader or viewer to get a first-hand view of what the inspector found. A property inspection app can allow you to take pictures and video while performing inspections, and use it later for your reports. While such extras aren’t as important in a narrative report, clients usually still enjoy receiving them for further insight.
All of these options are great, and popular methods for producing property inspection reports. They are also all options when you are working with property inspection apps and software, and you can use this technology to make your reports better than ever before.
