The Danish condition report: preparing your home for sale

Understand where the report fits

The report is prepared by an officially appointed building expert and is valid for six months. It forms part of Denmark’s home inspection scheme, huseftersynsordningen, alongside other documents. A report alone does not remove seller liability; ask your adviser to check the complete process.

Keep the findings separate from the asking price. A recorded issue may prompt questions, but the report does not determine a reasonable price reduction. Understand the observation first. Where a cost assessment matters, base it on suitable further investigation and a defined quotation for the work involved.

Source: Boligejer.dk: The Danish property condition report (in Danish) · Boligejer.dk: Documents for the Danish home inspection scheme (in Danish)

Book around the launch, with time to read the result

Ask the building expert what must be ready for the visit and when the completed report will arrive. Leave time to read it and ask questions before buyers are expected to commit. A fast-moving sale is easier to handle when you have already worked through the information being supplied.

Put the expiry date in your sale timeline. If the process takes longer than expected, speak to the agent and expert before that date approaches. Do not automatically reorder every document in the package; establish which items need refreshing and obtain the cost of that specific work.

Separate what you know from what you need to check

Collect records of previous damage, repairs and changes to the property. Invoices, photographs and work descriptions help you answer questions precisely. Distinguish your own observations from documented work and information passed on by a previous owner. Investigate uncertain dates instead of inventing a plausible answer.

Arrange access to the attic, basement and other relevant areas as requested by the expert. Move loose belongings out of the way without attempting unsafe work yourself. Flag any area that cannot be accessed before the visit and ask afterwards whether that limitation requires further clarification.

• Gather evidence of previous damage and repairs.
• Write down information you cannot confirm.
• Arrange access to the relevant building areas.
• Allow time to read the report and ask questions.

Clarify a finding before promising to fix it

Read each description rather than judging the property by its symbols alone. Ask the expert to explain what was observed and what remains unknown. If a specialist is needed, define the question that investigation should answer. A vague issue is not resolved by an equally vague estimate.

When considering repairs, compare their cost, timing and documentation. A rushed cosmetic treatment may make later assessment harder. Agree how completed work will be recorded and ask the report’s issuer whether the work requires an updated report. Keep evidence rather than relying on a verbal assurance that the problem has gone.

Supply the correct version to buyers

Agree who manages report versions and the full document package. Timely delivery to the buyer is one of the requirements of the Danish home inspection scheme. Have your adviser check the documents and timing before signing rather than assuming anything missing can simply be supplied later.

Keep the version delivered and a record of later changes. When a buyer asks about a finding, refer to its wording and the professional explanation. Avoid turning that explanation into a promise that an issue is harmless or inexpensive. Unanswered technical questions should go back to the appropriate expert.

Source: Boligejer.dk: Documents for the Danish home inspection scheme (in Danish)