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Surveys, Home Inspections and Condition Reports in the
New Era of Home Inspectors

Chairman
Christopher Legrand, Director, Property Industry Research Ltd.

Speakers
Paul Creffield, Technical Director, Countrywide Surveyors, Chairman of the former HCR Working Group
Richard Foxwell, Operations Director, Asset Skills
Hilary Grayson, Head of Assessment, SAVA Assessment Centre, SAVA Ltd
Barry Hall, Consultant Surveyor, Ekins Surveyors (part of the Woolwich/Barclays Group of Companies) & Chairman of the former Home Inspector Insurance Working Group
Jill Murray, Educational Specialist, RICS Safe as … (Home Buyer Reform Unit)
David Thorne, Solicitor, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
Mark Witherspoon, Chief Executive, Hometrack Data Systems Ltd

Matters to be covered during the day will include:

  • The Housing Act (Part 5) – What will it mean for the industry?
    - reasons for change
    - Home Information Packs
    - programme for delivery
    - what the changes mean
  • Which properties will need a Home Condition Report?
  • Will buyers commission their own reports, at least on the more expensive properties?
  • Will the Homebuyer Survey and Valuation Service survive the change?
  • Is there a new market to advise buyers on valuation?
  • Is there a market for ‘defect specific’ surveys?
  • How and when will Home Inspectors get paid?
  • Will Estate Agents ‘fold-in’ the reports in an all-in-one service? Will they defer payment until the home is sold? Will they offer them for free in return for ‘sole and exclusive’ instructions?
  • Who else may enter the Home Information Pack provision market?
  • Will lenders require further inspections for valuation purposes?
  • How will Automated Valuation Models fit with the traditional role of the valuer and the new Home Inspector role?
  • Who may be a Home Inspector? Why do you need a new qualification if you are already a qualified chartered surveyor? How will they qualify? How will their ongoing performance be monitored? How long will it take to train or upskill?
    - assessing competence
    - the Home Inspector qualification
    - what is evidence?
    - how evidence is assessed
    - the QA process – verification
    - the end test
  • What will a Home Condition Report entail?
    - structure of the new HCR
    - new condition ratings
    - general extent of inspection
    - reporting standards
  • Quality standards: Inspectors and reports
    - the vital role of National Occupational Standards (NOS)
    - what standards will be developed to reflect the needs of the industry?
    - composition (units/elements)
    - skills and knowledge required by the competent Home Inspector
    - detailed exemplars
    - use of NOS as a syllabus for training courses
  • What are the inspector’s responsibilities and potential liabilities? Which are personal to the inspector and which fall on the inspector’s employer?
    - standards of conduct
    - skills and working within capabilities
    - personal standards
    - professional knowledge
    - conflicts of interest
    - marketing and advertising the service
    - providing and safeguarding information
    - having adequate professional indemnity insurance
    - operating a complaints procedure
  • How will disputes be resolved?
    - the Home Conditions complaints process
    - adjudication of complaints
    - registration
    - removal from the register
  • What will be the size of the market?
  • We have the Act but what regulations are also on the way?
  • The what, why and how of ‘electronic reporting’?
  • How will Automated Valuation Models fit as part of the process?
    - when might lenders not require an internal/external inspection?
    - what are the alternative methods of valuing residential property?
    - what now – the future for the residential valuer
    - how will AVMs link with Home Condition Reports