A property condition report for wholesale purposes is not the same as a formal home inspection report. You are not looking for every nail pop and caulk crack. You are looking for the information that drives your repair estimate: what systems need replacement, what cosmetic work is needed, and what unexpected issues might affect your offer.
Here is what needs to be in a usable wholesale condition report, and how to collect it without a site visit.
What a Wholesale Property Condition Report Covers
Exterior and Structural
- Roof: age, visible damage, material type, gutters
- Foundation: visible cracks, signs of settling, water intrusion evidence
- Siding and exterior walls: condition, material, any rot or damage
- Windows: single vs. double pane, broken panes, seal failures
- Driveway and walkways: condition, cracking
- Garage: door function, structure condition
Mechanical Systems
- HVAC: age of system, type (central air, window units, boiler), last service date if known
- Electrical: panel type and amperage, wiring type (knob-and-tube, aluminum, or copper), any visible issues
- Plumbing: pipe material if visible, water pressure, any known leaks, water heater age
- Water heater: age, capacity, type (tank vs. tankless)
Systems determine the deal category. A property with all systems within the last 10 years is a cosmetic flip. A property with 25-year-old mechanicals across the board is a full rehab. These are not the same deal, even if they look the same from the street.
Interior Condition
- Kitchen: cabinet condition and style, countertop type, appliance age and condition
- Bathrooms: tile condition, vanity, tub and shower, any water damage or mold
- Flooring: material and condition throughout (hardwood, carpet, tile, vinyl)
- Walls and ceilings: any water staining, cracks, plaster vs. drywall
- Doors and trim: condition, any rot or damage
Basement
- Wall condition: cracks, efflorescence (white mineral deposits indicating water movement)
- Floor: any staining, cracking, signs of past water accumulation
- Ceiling joists: visible rot or pest damage
- Waterproofing: any existing systems (French drain, sump pump)
Overall Damage Assessment
- Any fire or smoke damage
- Any flood or water damage history
- Any visible mold
- Any pest damage (termites, rodents)
How to Collect This Remotely
A condition report for a deal you cannot walk personally has to come from photos. The challenge is that without a guided process, sellers photograph whatever is easiest to photograph, which is almost never the electrical panel, the basement walls, or the HVAC data plate.
The solution is a guided seller submission flow. You send the seller a link that walks them through each area of the property with clear instructions. They cannot skip required sections. Every photo is validated by AI before they can move on. You get a complete, organized photo set that covers every element of the condition report above.
SellerSubmit automates this process. Send the link, seller completes it in under 10 minutes, everything lands in your dashboard sorted by room and area. That is your remote condition report.
This is not an informal photo request. A guided, AI-validated seller submission is a structured documentation process. The output is a usable condition report, not a text thread of random photos.
How to Use the Condition Report in Your Underwrite
Once you have the complete photo documentation:
- Categorize the scope: light cosmetic, full cosmetic, or full rehab with systems
- Itemize the system costs separately (roof, HVAC, electrical, plumbing)
- Apply cost-per-square-foot benchmarks to the cosmetic scope
- Add all components: total cosmetic + total system costs
- Add 15 to 20% buffer for unknowns
- Apply your buyer's formula to back into your MAO
A complete condition report tightens your repair estimate and narrows the range of uncertainty. The result is a more competitive offer that still protects your buyer's margin.
When to Request a Physical Inspection Instead
Photos are sufficient for most occupied properties with a cooperative seller. But some situations warrant a physical inspection before you commit to a final number. For how to structure the offer around what you find, see how to make an offer on a house you have never seen:
- Visible foundation issues that are unclear in scope from photos
- Suspected major water damage with no clear source or resolution
- Visible mold in multiple areas
- Older home (pre-1960) with no updates to electrical or plumbing
- Any damage the seller cannot or will not document
In these cases, use your contract's inspection period to get eyes on the property before you lock in your offer price. Make your initial offer subject to inspection and adjust from there.
Sharing the Condition Report with Your Buyer
When you market a deal to your buyer list, the seller-submitted photo set is your deal package documentation. Buyers who can see organized, complete photos of every room and system close faster and with fewer renegotiations because the condition is transparent from the start.
A deal package with strong photo documentation signals a professional operation and builds the kind of trust with buyers that leads to repeat assignments. For the complete list of shots to include, see what photos you need to wholesale a house.