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Career - Story 0f a Home Inspector

Qualified Home Inspector, Andrew Nicholls, completed his SAVA qualification in early 2007. Here he tells us about why he decided to enter into this new career and the opportunities he sees ahead.

"Having been in the building industry for almost 25 years, I thought I was well positioned to make the transition to the role of a Home Inspector and become involved in Home Information Packs.

The six-months of study to qualify were quite challenging, however, my experience in building and house repairs was quite useful. While many undertaking the course didn't have the same kind of industry background as I did, this didn't matter - as the training is tailored for various levels.

Having only recently qualified, I've been making contact with a number of local businesses including Pack providers, solicitors and estate agents, to profile the Home Inspector role and generate some business.

I've compiled a few Packs as part of the Area Trials - some Packs with only the Energy Performance Certificate and others with the voluntary Home Condition Report. Some sellers were a bit confused about what would be included in their Pack, but explaining the process as I've been undertaking inspections has really helped consumers to understand what we're looking for and why.

People have also been quite impressed with the EPC and the recommendations that it outlines to improve the energy efficiency of their property. People don't really understand the current state of their property, or the simple steps that they can take to make improvements - which will also save them money. A lot of people wrongly believe that to make energy efficiency improvements to their property, they need to spend a lot of money. While some measures do require a significant investment, there are several that don't.

Having been in the building industry for some time, it's hard to believe that a property - that people spends thousands of pounds on - to date has not had any sort of report on its condition. As Home Information Packs become commonplace, I think we'll see increased demand from consumers for the voluntary Home Condition Report. If a property doesn't have one, buyers will wonder what the seller is trying to hide."