Before you touch the car
Photograph the rego, the VIN plate and the odometer. Note the service history you can see — stamps in the book, invoices in the glovebox — and its type: dealer, independent, none. The buyer wants to know whether the history matches the kilometres.
The checklist
Work in sections so the report reads in sections. Mark each item pass, fail or advisory, and photograph every fail.
- Body and paint: panel gaps, overspray, previous repairs, rust in sills and arches, glass chips.
- Underbody: rails and chassis, leaks, exhaust condition, bushes and mounts, CV boots.
- Engine bay: oil condition and level, coolant, belts, hoses, mounts, signs of head gasket trouble.
- Drivetrain: gear engagement, clutch take-up, diff and transfer case leaks on 4WDs.
- Brakes and suspension: pad and rotor condition, fluid, shocks, ball joints, steering play.
- Tyres, per corner: brand, tread depth in millimetres, wear pattern, age.
- Electrics: every light, window, mirror, the air-con, the dash warning lights on start-up.
- OBD scan: stored and pending codes, readiness monitors — record the codes, not just 'scanned OK'.
- Road test: noises, pulling, vibration, overheating, gear changes under load.
Record numbers, not adjectives
'Tyres fair' means nothing next week. '3.2 mm front left, 5.5 mm front right, uneven wear suggests alignment' means something in a negotiation. The same goes for brake pad thickness, oil condition and the odometer.
Deliver it as a report
A two-page paper checklist becomes a phone photo and then nothing. A report link with your branding, sections, photos and the per-corner tyre table is a document the buyer forwards to their partner and their bank. Print-to-PDF from the browser covers the people who want paper.
Bill it from the same record so the inspection and its invoice are linked, and so the car's profile shows both if the buyer becomes a customer.
What an inspection is not
It is not a roadworthy or safety certificate. Those are issued under your state's licensed-tester scheme through its own system, and your report should say so plainly. An inspection report is your professional opinion on the day, on the car as presented.