last updated 10th October 05
by 4ecotips.com

Will inspectors to be up to the task?

The Government's recent announcement on Home Information Packs has received a mixed response in the press. Among concerns about the Packs - which all those selling their homes will be required to provide from 2007 - was the question of whether the Home Inspectors compiling the required Home Condition Reports would be sufficiently qualified.

But according to Chris Broadbent, Director of the Assessment Centre at the UK's Building Research Establishment (BRE), "Home Inspectors will be skilled professionals who have gone through a rigorous programme of training and assessment. Their training will be quality controlled by two levels of verification and they will sit a final exam before being awarded the Diploma in Home Inspection. They will then prepare and deliver Home Condition Reports under a third party certification scheme."

BRE is currently training and assessing an increasing number of Home Inspectors, both experienced practitioners and new entrants, to be ready for the introduction of Home Information Packs.

"As a leading Assessment Centre for the delivery of the Diploma in Home Inspection," says Chris Broadbent, "BRE is committed to the highest standards of training and assessment for its candidates. We are confident that candidates successfully completing this programme, will have all the necessary expertise to deliver high quality Home Condition Reports that sellers, buyers and lenders can rely on."

To become licensed, a home inspector must achieve a Level 4 Vocational Qualification through an assessment of competence by practical demonstration of the skills required, and a comprehensive examination. This applies to both experienced surveyors and to new entrants to the profession.