I already bought: what do I do with my inspection report?

Yes. Before buying, the report helps you decide and negotiate. After, it becomes your work list: what is unsafe, what lets water in, what is about to fail, and what can wait.

Many owners file it away after closing and dig it out the day something is already leaking. Now is the right time to reread it calmly.

With two families of findings, in this order.

Safety first: a loose guardrail, an outlet without GFCI protection near water, an electrical panel from a risky brand, a missing smoke detector. These fixes often cost little and should not be put off.

Water next: a leak through the roof or a skylight, ground sloping toward the house, a downspout that is too short. Water damages everything it touches, and the damage grows every season.

By season, then over a few years. Some work has its moment: drainage and caulking before the frost, a look at the attic after the thaw, siding and masonry in good weather. A radon test is done in winter, during the heating season.

End-of-life equipment (water heater, siding, windows) is planned over two to five years. Replacing it before it fails almost always costs less than repairing the damage after.

Have them checked, even if the house is already yours. A sign, like a stain, efflorescence or a crack, does not yet say whether there is a problem behind it. The inspector often names the right specialist: electrician, roofer, structural engineer.

Also keep the invoices and warranties found in the documents of the sale: they tell what was already done, and by whom.

Talk to a professional, such as a lawyer or a notary. I cannot tell you whether it is a hidden defect: it depends on the facts, the deadlines and what the seller knew. The guide on hidden defects explains the general framework.

Before payment, I ask whether you are buying or the house is already yours. If it is yours, I drop the negotiation and prepare a roadmap: what to do now, this year by season, and within two to five years, with an order of magnitude of the costs for each period.

Same page-by-page reading, same three lists, same price.

Yes for safety items and equipment, which do not fix themselves. The house may have changed since: what was “to monitor” may have moved. For a picture of today, a new inspection is still the reference.

No. Safety and water first; the rest is spread over the seasons and your budget. What matters is not letting a water problem go through a winter.

No. It says what the inspector saw and recommends. To know exactly what to do and what it costs, you need an assessment and written quotes.