What Should You Check at a House Inspection Before You Sign?
Open homes are exciting, and that’s exactly when things get missed. Here’s our room by room house inspection checklist, and how to check the contract matches what you saw.
What should you check at a house inspection before you sign the contract?
Test everything that’s meant to work, look for leaks, and make sure the contract lists everything the agent said is staying. Our free home inspection checklist for buyers below covers the kitchen, electrical, plumbing, pool and spa, and garage, then the inclusions on the front page of the contract. You can also download it as a printable PDF to take to the open home. In the excitement of buying, it’s easy to skip these checks and end up buying someone else’s problems.
At a glance
- What should I check at a house inspection? Anything that’s meant to work: oven, stove, rangehood, dishwasher, taps and drains, hot water, lights, air conditioning, ceiling fans, pool pumps and the garage door remote. Look under the sink for leaks and take a look at the meter box.
- When should I check? Before you sign. If you exchange with a cooling-off period you have 5 business days to finish your checks, but pulling out then costs 0.25% of the price.
- What if something doesn’t work? Point it out to the agent before you sign. It can help your negotiation, or the seller may agree to fix it before you exchange.
- How do I know what stays with the house? Check the inclusions on the front page of the contract. If an item isn’t marked, it isn’t included.
Free home inspection checklist (PDF)
Print it or save it to your phone, then tick off each room as you go through the open home. It’s free, with no sign up needed.
Why a house inspection checklist matters
When you buy a home, you need to know what works and what doesn’t before your cooling-off period expires. Once it ends, you’re committed to the purchase.
This checklist is for your own walk through at the open home or a second inspection. It doesn’t replace a building and pest inspection, which looks at the structure, but it catches the everyday items a building report often doesn’t test.
What buyers think
“If something’s broken, the seller has to fix it before settlement.”
“Everything I saw at the open home comes with the house.”
What actually happens
The seller generally only has to hand the property over in the same condition it was in when you signed, apart from fair wear and tear. If the dishwasher didn’t work when you signed, there’s usually no obligation to fix it unless that was agreed and written into the contract. And only the items marked in the contract’s inclusions stay with the property.
Kitchen
- Check under the sink. Are there any signs of water leaks?
- Dishwasher. Is it included? Does it work?
- Do the oven, rangehood and stove work? Ask the agent to turn them on.
Electrical
- Have you taken a look at the meter box?
- Have you tested the lights?
- Does the air conditioner work?
- Do the ceiling fans work?
Plumbing
- Hot water system. Does the hot water work? How old is the system?
- Do all the taps work? Turn them on and see how they drain.
Pool and spa
- Ask what equipment is included and make a list of the items.
- Is the pool vacuum system included, and does it work?
- Do the pumps operate?
Garage
- Are there shelves in the garage? Are they included?
- Does the garage door remote work?
“Anything that concerns you, point it out to the agent. It may help in your negotiations, or the vendor may agree to fix it before you exchange.”
How to use the checklist at an open home
Use the camera on your phone
Take photos or video of the property, especially anything that concerns you. It gives you a record of the condition the property was in when you signed.
Test it, don’t assume it
Turn on the taps, the lights, the stove and the air conditioning. If you can’t test something yourself, ask the agent to turn it on.
Raise concerns before you sign
Tell the agent about anything that doesn’t work. If the seller agrees to fix it, let us know so it can be written into the contract rather than left as a verbal promise.
Match what you saw to the inclusions
Make a note of everything the agent told you is staying, then check it against the front page of the contract. More on that below.
Check the inclusions on the contract
On the front page of the contract there’s a box listing the inclusions: the things staying with the property.
Go through the list and make sure everything the agent has agreed will stay with the sale is marked. If an item isn’t marked, it isn’t included. Anything that isn’t on the printed list, like the pool vacuum or garage shelving, should be written in.
The 2026 edition of the NSW Contract for Sale, used for all contracts from 1 June 2026, refreshed the inclusions list. It now includes a solar power battery, and “TV antenna” has become internet/TV receiver. If the house has a battery, make sure it’s marked.
Inclusions (example)
- Dishwasher
- Stove
- Rangehood
- Air conditioning
- Light fittings
- Pool equipment
- Solar power battery
- Clothes line
- Curtains
- Garden shed
Marked items stay with the property. Blank items do not.
In plain English
What you see at the open home isn’t what you’re buying. What’s marked on the front page of the contract is. If it isn’t marked, expect it to leave with the seller.
Buying at auction?
There’s no cooling-off period at auction, and the same applies if you sign a 66W certificate to waive it. You’re committed the moment contracts are exchanged, so do this checklist and have us review the contract before auction day.
Found something that isn’t working, or an inclusion that isn’t marked? Send us the contract before you sign and we’ll get it sorted.
The short version
Test everything, photograph anything that worries you, and raise it with the agent before you sign. Then check the inclusions on the front page of the contract, because only marked items stay with the property. Do it all before your cooling-off period ends, or before auction day if there isn’t one.
Found the one?
Talk to Justin, Julie, Amanda or Nicole before you sign. We’ll review the contract, check the inclusions and help you get to exchange.