Property Handover Inspection Checklist

Who this is for

The walk round on the day a property changes hands. One table takes the condition of each room and anything left outstanding; the other takes the meter readings, the keys counted over and the documents handed on.

Buyers and sellers on completion day, builders and refurbishment contractors handing a finished property back to its owner, managing agents changing occupier and anyone taking on an office, shop or unit.

What this helps you track

• The condition of each room on the day, agreed by both sides
• Meter readings at the moment of handover, so the bills split cleanly
• How many keys, fobs and alarm codes actually changed hands
• Which manuals, certificates and demonstrations changed hands and which are still owed

How to use it

1. Agree who is present, fill in the property and both names, and date the sheet.
2. Walk the rooms in a fixed order and mark the condition of each, writing the outstanding item beside it.
3. Read every meter yourself rather than taking the last bill, and write the serial number down.
4. Count the keys and fobs across the table and have both parties initial the count.
5. Tick the handed-over column only for the manuals, certificates and codes actually received.
6. Both sign, take a copy each, and settle anything left open in writing.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Is this the same as a move-in inventory?

No. An inventory lists contents and their condition in detail for a deposit. This is the handover round: rooms, meters, keys and paperwork on the day the property changes hands, which suits sales and completed building work as well as lettings.

Can I use it for new-build completion?

Yes, for the handover itself. Defects in the finish belong on a snagging list, which runs to far more lines and stays open for months; this sheet records what happened on the day.

What should go in the outstanding column?

Anything agreed but not yet done or not yet handed over — a missing key, a manual to follow, a room left with rubbish in it. Give each one a name and a date if you can.

Who keeps the sheet?

Both sides, signed. It is worth very little as one party's copy and worth a great deal when both agreed it at the time.