A property inspection report is a great way to get a good idea of any issues a property has before buying, selling, or renovating. If you’re getting a property inspection report for the first time, this page will show you exactly what to expect.

What Exactly is a Property Inspection Report?

A property inspection report is written by a building inspector after an in-depth evaluation of the home’s condition, including the plumbing, electrical system, foundation, roof, and other structural features. Unlike a property report, which provides details such as its sales and listing history, a property inspection report covers a home’s issues so you can make more informed decisions.

Most homebuyers often hire a building inspector and review the report before buying a property, selling, or renovating.

A property inspection report is a report produced after a property inspection, put together by a licenced property inspector. It details the state of every part of the property, from plumbing, electrical systems, foundations and roofing, to inaccessible parts such as below the floor and inside the roof cavity. This way, the property owner can find any faults that would endanger occupancy or cause problems in the future. This could include termites or mould in areas like the bathroom or kitchen where water damage might be an issue as well as faulty wiring which can lead to fires and other catastrophes if not fixed quickly!

Regardless of whether you’re getting a full property report or just an inspection for part of a property, it should include:

Images of defects needing attention
Description of the defects and their probable impact
Summary to emphasise the most important issues.
An HTML and/or PDF version

What Our Property Reports Cover

Effective Building & Consultancy offer property inspections for both commercial and residential properties. Our basic property inspection report covers doors, walls, stairs and railings, ceiling, and connected structures such as balconies, porches, and driveways. For the roof, we check the flashing and the shingles, heating and cooling systems, and insulation and ventilation. The final section of the report includes electrical components such as fuses and breakers and plumbing components such as indoor pipes.

Depending on the package you have chosen, your report may not include potential hazards such as asbestos or pests, which may require separate inspections. This is because most new houses will not require pest or asbestos inspections,

Sections of the Property inspection report

Our property inspection reports are broken into sections, each focusing on the different parts of the property. These sections include, but aren’t limited to, home systems like Plumbing, Electrical, and Heating, as well as rooms such as the Living Room, Kitchen, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Exterior, Interior, etc.

This is to ensure you can understand the issues as easily as possible and make informed decisions without confusion.

We inspect all accessible parts of the property, including the interior and exterior of the building, the roof cavity, any under-floor space, and the exterior of the roof. This also includes any attachments such as garages, sheds and carports, separate buildings, walls, steps, fencing, stormwater runoff and more.

Our inspectors use software that allows to include pictures in the main body of the property inspection report. These are near the text that describes them, ensuring the information and advice is clear and concise.

Limitations of Property Inspection Reports

Because a building inspector conducts a visual inspection, the property inspection report will contain only information pertaining to what the inspector could see. For instance, the building report may not cover a septic system, because it would require digging into the ground to get a closer look. Similarly, anything behind or inside the walls won’t be included. The report won’t also cover things that aren’t structurally part of the home, such as alarm systems, appliances, outdoor sprinkler systems, or satellite dishes.

Preview of the Property inspection report

When you get your property inspection report, it will be in PDF format for easy viewing on any device. If you’re having trouble viewing the report, let our team know and we can provide you with other formats.

A property inspection report should be highly visual and easy to navigate with a table of contents and summary. Additionally, you should be able to gain all the information you need to make decisions about your property confidently.

Here are several samples of the reports we offer:

Where to Go From Here

It’s important to have realistic expectations about the information included in your property report. All our inspections cover what is outlined in the Australian Standards. If you want specific parts of your property inspected, such as smoke alarms, security and other systems, talk to our team and we may be able to include them in your inspection. Call us today to discuss your needs with an expert and organise an inspection for your property.

For more information about building inspection and, visit our Help Centre.