How to read a Swedish inspection report: what the remarks mean
Find the risk analysis, understand "raised risk" and "further technical investigation", and prioritise the remarks correctly. A plain walk-through of the besiktningsprotokoll for buyers.
Updated: 2026-06-12
Do not start at the start. The most important parts of an inspection report are the risk analysis and the line about further technical investigation, because that is where the possible hidden defects are flagged. Read those first, weigh the seriousness of the remarks against the home’s age, and order the deeper checks that are recommended before you bid. Here is how to get through the report without drowning in detail.
What the report is
The inspection report, also called the besiktningsutlåtande, is the end product of a transfer inspection. It is a written report describing the home’s building-technical condition and risks, room by room and part by part. The inspector looked, felt and judged what is visible, and gathered it into a document you can base a decision on.
Remember what it is not: a guarantee. The inspection is generally visual, a judgement of what can be seen. It says what the inspector saw that day, not that everything else is sound.
Find the risk analysis first
Two sections matter most, and the risk analysis is the first. When the inspector judges that there is a tangible risk of significant defects beyond what is visible, it is set out with a reason: why the risk exists and what it concerns. Such a line carries weight, even when no defect has yet been confirmed.
The second section is the recommendation for further technical investigation. It is the inspector’s call to dig deeper into something the eye could not settle, for example opening a construction or measuring moisture. That investigation is not part of the inspection. It is ordered separately and needs the property owner’s consent. If you see that wording, it is a clear flag.
Understand the words in the report
A few recurring terms decide how you should read a note.
| Term | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Anmärkning (remark) | A defect or shortcoming actually seen. Weigh it against the home’s age. |
| Förhöjd risk (raised risk) | A building element where defects can probably hide, even if nothing shows. A reason to investigate. |
| Riskkonstruktion (risk construction) | A building method known to hide moisture or defects, often typical of the build year. |
| Fortsatt teknisk utredning | Order a deeper check before buying. Not included in the inspection. |
| Noted without remark | Seen and judged to be in normal condition. No action. |
A raised risk is not the same as a defect. It is a probability, and that is exactly why it is the reason to order the deeper investigation before you decide.
Prioritise the remarks
The number of remarks says less than their weight. A report for a 1970s house with twenty notes can be safer than one with five, if the twenty are expected wear and the five concern foundation and moisture.
Sort what you read into three piles:
- Expected wear for the age: repainting needs, worn surfaces, older but working installations. Normal, build it into your maintenance budget.
- Remarks to fix: concrete defects with a cost you can estimate. Let them shape the bid.
- Raised risk and further investigation: the potentially expensive and hidden defects. Investigate before you bid.
The gap you have to fill yourself
The report covers what the inspector looked at, and a standard inspection is building-technical and visual. Electrics, heating, water, sanitation, appliances, ventilation and the ground are normally not included. If nothing is said about the electrics, it means they were not checked, not that they are fault-free.
Several of the most expensive defects sit in exactly what is not included. So add an electrical check, a radon test and a look at the ventilation where needed, especially in older houses.
The report and your duty to investigate
The report is a common way to meet your duty to investigate, but it does not end that duty automatically. Under the Land Code chapter 4, section 19, you cannot later claim compensation for defects you should have spotted in a sufficiently careful investigation. If the report flags a raised risk or further investigation, following it up is part of your duty. If you do not, the defect can count as something you should have spotted.
Checklist when you read the report
- Read the risk analysis and the recommendations for further investigation first
- Order each suggested deeper investigation before you bid
- Separate expected wear from concrete defects and from raised risk
- Add what the inspection does not cover: electrics, water, ventilation, radon
- Keep the report, it becomes your evidence if you need to make a claim later
Common questions
What is the most important part of an inspection report?
The risk analysis. That is where the inspector sets out where there is a tangible risk of significant defects beyond what is visible, with a reason why. Read it before anything else. It and the line about further technical investigation are the sections that can actually change your decision and your bid.
What does fortsatt teknisk utredning (further technical investigation) mean?
It is the inspector's recommendation to dig deeper into something that could not be settled by eye, for example opening up a construction or measuring moisture. The investigation is not part of the inspection; it is ordered separately and needs the property owner's consent. If you see that wording, order the investigation before you bid, not after.
What is the difference between a remark and a raised risk?
A remark (anmärkning) is a defect or shortcoming the inspector actually saw. A raised risk (förhöjd risk) is a building element where defects are more likely to be hidden, even if nothing shows right now, often a risk construction typical of the build year. Both matter, but a raised risk is the reason to order a deeper investigation.
Does the inspection cover electrics, heating and water?
No, usually not. A transfer inspection is generally a visual building-technical survey and normally does not cover electrics, heating, water, sanitation, appliances, ventilation or the ground. If the report says nothing about the electrics, it means they were not checked, not that they are fault-free. That is a gap you fill yourself.
Does the inspection meet my duty to investigate?
It helps, but rarely on its own. Under the Land Code (jordabalken) chapter 4, section 19, you cannot later claim compensation for defects you should have spotted in an adequate investigation. The report is good evidence, but if it flags a raised risk or further investigation, following it up is part of your duty before the purchase.
Should I walk away if the report has many remarks?
Not automatically. The number of remarks says less than their weight. Wear and minor faults that are expected for the home's age are normal. What you weigh heavily is the risk analysis and the recommendations for further investigation, because that is where the expensive and hidden defects are flagged. Work out what they would cost to fix and let it shape your bid.
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