Buying an apartment
What to check on an apartment before buying it
What can be visually checked on an apartment before buying it, what can be measured, which signs deserve further investigation, and what a non-invasive inspection cannot confirm.
Educational content
BuildScan guides for property inspection
Guides written on the BuildScan methodology: what can be observed, what can be measured, what remains to be investigated and what a visual, non-invasive inspection cannot confirm.
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Digital report, within the deadline confirmed at order confirmation
Guides
What you check, how it is documented, what remains to be investigated
Every guide starts from the same field methodology and explains, through a concrete situation, what can be observed and which conclusions are supported by evidence.
Buying a house
What to check on a house before buying it
What gets checked on a house before buying it, from the roof and envelope to the basement and visible installations, and what falls outside a non-invasive visual inspection.
Renting
Handover and move-in for a rented property
How to document the condition of a rented property at handover and at move-in, what goes into the handover report, and how to avoid disputes about the initial condition.
Dampness and infiltration
Dampness, condensation or infiltration: what an inspection can indicate
How to cautiously interpret traces of dampness in a home, and why a stain on a wall does not automatically mean infiltration, condensation, or a waterproofing defect.
Defect documentation
How to document defects in a home
What a useful defect record looks like: precise location, photographs, measurements, factual description, cautiously stated possible causes, limitations, priority and recommendation.
Measurements and survey
Precise measurements, 360° virtual tour and as-built survey
What precise measurements, a 360° virtual tour and an as-built survey mean, how they're obtained in a single visit, what deliverables result, and how buyers, mortgage and insurance brokers, architects and interior designers use the usable dimensions.
Before buying
Checking an apartment or a house before buying
A complete buyer's guide: what is checked in an apartment and in a house before buying, which documents to request from the seller, how visible defects are documented and the limits of a visual, non-invasive inspection.
The way we work, the evidence we use and the limits of every check are described on the page The BuildScan methodology.
Editorial note
The information published in BuildScan's guides on property inspection, checking an apartment or a house before buying, handover of rented properties and moisture problems is for informational purposes only. It does not replace an on-site inspection, a personalised technical report, or the verifications and expert assessments carried out by authorized/certified specialists when the situation requires them.
Do you have a property to check?
The guides explain the principles; the report confirms the actual condition of your property.