"Challenging target to meet" says RICS

William Tew from the Royal Institute of Chartered surveyors has today spoken on national radio and stated there is an urgent need for more people (home inspectors) to step forward.

The government has stated there will be a need for approximately 7,500 home inspectors and to date there are only 1,800 inspectors qualified or enrolled on courses. If there are not enough qualified by June 2007 there are very real concerns about the adverse affect on the housing market.

William Tew says, "It will be a challenging target to meet. If there aren't enough home inspectors to produce the home condition reports, there's going to be a major drawback.

Besides concerns over the number of qualified home inspectors, the government has yet to set up a system for certifying them.

Peter Bolton, Chief Executive of the National Association of Estate Agents said: "This only works if everybody who is carrying out the reports is not only qualified but belongs to a system which is constantly checking the suitability of their reports.
"If the reports that are coming out are rubbish, then we have a major problem."

In response to these concerns, the government said it believes enough home inspectors will be ready for June 2007. It said a certification system should be in place by next summer and other options for redress should follow, such as a home inspectors' ombudsman scheme.
Housing Minister Baroness Andrews said she is confident the system will work efficiently: "People will be able to trust this qualification absolutely. We're building safeguards alongside quality at every stage of the process."