Introduction: - Before making an offer on a property and before exchanging contracts, it's important to have a survey, although many buyers rely on a basic valuation. Suppose you want to construct an extension or undertake a new build or want to get some structural alterations; in that case, you need approval from the building regulations from the local building inspector.

There are two types of approvals - building regulations and planning approval. Building regulations require a separate process where the proposed structure will be approved when the house is fully compliant with the building regulations. Planning approval is made by the local authority that grants permission to extend or build a new dwelling. 

If the building inspector carries out regular site visits, you can get approvals for your projects. They have a thorough knowledge of regulations and can recommend repairs or other changes in the building design to meet the local authority's requirements. Their job is to ensure that the project has been fully compliant with the local rules and safety measures at completion.

Once the basic plans are approved, it is used to build the project, and it may be difficult to change later, particularly as around one in five properties found by surveyors have major faults.

Certain serious issues are more likely in older buildings, although they are found in properties less than ten years old. If a survey reveals any problems, they can usually be used as a bargaining tool to justify a lower price.

Home inspectors' job is to write a home inspection report with results and get approval from the local authority. In the article below, we will discuss how their job is relevant and How Much Do Home Inspectors Make?

How Much Do Home Inspectors Make?

The home inspectors' job is to carry out additional checks to see if the floor and ceiling beams are following the approved drawing. They review the beams' size, grade and centres, roof timber quality, and spacing between the pillars. All the roof issues are carefully examined, and sound and thermal insulation are ensured, they can approve the building.

The home inspectors verify several important rules and check the structural integrity of the building.

Certain defects in a house can be a deal-breaker, and the buyer or seller can gain a lot from it. Asset Skills estimates that mid-career inspectors' earnings may be between £30K and £40K0 a year. In addition, performance bonuses could increase the total earnings.

Some insist the seller pays for the home inspections. So one can negotiate the rate of the property.

To reassure potential purchasers, some sellers get a home inspection before putting their property on sale. Also, the seller gets a chance to fix issues and repair the damages in the property before putting up the property for sale.

Also, not all buyers would accept a report paid by the seller. Experts recommend the buyers choose their inspector, someone without ties to the seller or the seller's Realtor, and in such a case, the buyer may pay for the inspection.

If you work as a self-employed inspector, you would set your rates and earn through separately for each inspection project report. 

How Much Home Inspector Salary?

A home inspection checklist provides a valuable tool to those willing to sell their property. If the seller is aware of the points, they can sort out minor issues to make an offer in advance. 

There are up to eight statutory inspections conducted by surveyors during a building project. Therefore, the visit is useful as one could meet the builder and check the site's condition. 

Just one full up-front payment is made when completing the application for a Building Notice. After that, the next statutory inspection is the excavation before placing the concrete foundations.

The cost of a home inspector depends on their job profile, and the average building inspector salary in the United Kingdom at Entry level positions start at £34K per annum. The average home inspector makes  £41K per annum or £21.28 per hour. Most experienced workers make up to £53,274 per annum.

Why a Home Inspection Career May Be Right for You:

At each stage of construction, if the project receives guidance and advice from the inspector, it helps to lower wasteful or unauthorised work. So the buyer or the sellers bear to get an inspection of the property. 

Some Home Inspector Requirements Are Given Below-

1. High Demand in The Real Estate Sector:

The inspector will have to visit the construction site once notified. The visit is useful in the real estate sector as the inspector meets the builder and generally approves the site conditions. Once the first visit takes place, a one-off invoice, the cost of a home inspector, is issued to cover the cost of the first and all subsequent inspections.

The local authority needs to be notified when the building is occupied before completion. Sometimes, this inspection is overlooked, but the inspector may be required to have a final walk round to check the property's condition.

2. Know Better the Asset with A Home Inspector: -

Becoming a home inspector requires a good knowledge of the rules related to ventilation of rooms, the roof voids, roof covering, fire safety, safety glazing and staircase details, and the house's geometry.

]It is also necessary to examine the strength of floors and ceilings. You need to pay for surveys while buying a house to negotiate a better deal. Besides the professionals examining the cooling process of the house, water damage (damp) help you plan the process and repair the damages to ensure safety.  

3. A Home Inspector Can Make A Good Amount or Can Get A Salary: - 

Prices for home inspections widely differ by location and the size and age of the property. The industry generally considers periodic inspections at three, four or six-monthly intervals, allowing changes in seasons and weather conditions that can sometimes cause or reveal issues.

In the UK, the price can vary between £400 to £1500 depending on the type of survey. In the same manner in the US, if you want to know how much home inspectors make in Texas, it mostly depends on the type of survey and condition, but the price can range from $200 to $500, which constitutes the home inspector's salary. 

4. You Are Your Boss: - 

You can work independently as a freelancer inspector. For example, you can find out how much home inspectors make a year in your location to find the recent trends. 

5. Get the Best Training at A Low Cost: - 

Home Inspector Salary is independent of market conditions. Homeowners may have to get an inspection quarterly or half-yearly to ensure the property's condition and get a report. One can get Mortgage Valuation or RICS Valuation at over £300 for an average priced property in the UK, but the costs can be as low as £160 and as high as £600 – depending on the location, area and age of the property.

6. No Requirement of Investment: -

You do not require an initial investment, and you can even join a firm offering inspection packs. Even Average home inspectors make a handsome earning for a month. The Level 1 basic Home Survey can cost up to £350, where the surveyor will provide condition ratings for the main parts of the building, garage and some outside elements.

How Long Does It Take to Become A Home Inspector? 

To become a home inspector, you need a Level 4 Diploma in Home Inspection, where you need to provide work-based evidence to prove your skills and clear the exam. The time to complete the training depends on how you complete the requirements. However, experienced home inspectors can complete the training in a week.

You do not require any surveying knowledge to become a home inspector. The courses cover everything you need to learn to clear the final exam and produce the portfolio of evidence for assessment. They last around 12 months.

You will have to work to produce the EPCs ( the energy reports), and you can qualify as a domestic energy assessor by doing a diploma in it. 

Training 

You must get training to become a Home Inspector through an accredited course. Some centres offer both training and assessment. You can enrol on a full time or part-time course but always join an accredited institution. 

Before working as a home inspector, you require a membership certificate, the CRB and personal indemnity insurance. 

What Are Home Inspector Requirements?

Those who want to become home surveyors require a thorough knowledge of construction and surveying methods and building regulations to efficiently accomplish the surveys like examining plumbing inside the house or checking the wiring. They should be capable of seeing the extent and urgency of construction defects and getting precise measurements to record the inspection details in writing.

The job requires a high standard of ethics and a systematic approach to negotiating and communication. They should know the data protection rules to protect users' data.

Their Roles Include–

• Inspecting, evaluating and providing new or resale homes on behalf of customers and reporting on the physical condition of the goods.

• Inspecting and doing the basic testing of existing electrical or plumbing installations.

• Examining existing buildings to identify and record structural defects, fire hazards, and other safety risks.

• In any case, the Home inspectors' search for problems should ultimately lead to homeowners' safety.

What Do Home Inspectors Look For?

Before starting the assessment, the inspectors look at the accommodation to find the internal/ hidden faults and damage. For example, some homes housed in moist areas may have a damp pump installed within the crawl space to drain water. A home inspector searches for such issues to help the homeowner repair and resolve damages.

The home inspection will come with reports where you know the quality of construction, the spacing of beams, the internal security instalments, the electrical / wiring conditions, drainage, and others. In addition, it includes structural and plumbing reports, wherein any house-related fault is mentioned in the reports.

How Much Do Home Inspectors Make In UK? 

So, to know how much money do home inspectors make, you need to know the type of property, the location and the area. An efficient home inspector generally takes a few hours to inspect and report. But it will take a few days if the problem is severe. Hence, the income of a home inspector depends on the severity of problems, environment, and several other complicated reasons. 

House surveys seem expensive, but most homeowners try to save money in the long run by having one. To learn how much home inspectors make in the UK, you will have to see the local costs. 

RICS survey finds that 4 in 5 homeowners purchased a property without a home survey first, and the buyers went on to spend on average over £5.7K in unexpected repair work. So it is worth spending on a survey as they can help you determine if the property is worth the investment or requires too many repairs. 

How to Become a Home Inspector?   

Firstly, you need to get a license to work in this sector and diversify the business. After that, you can join websites or advertise in the local newspaper to get a job.

Some of the ways you can become a home inspector are -

Pursue a Training Session for Home Inspector Job: -

Before starting as a home inspector, you need to join the professional training course and get a license.

Find out What Are the Requirements in Your Area: 

You must gather information about your area's home inspector job profile.

Join a Home Inspection Firm: -

You can join a firm offering the service. 

To know how much home inspectors make a year by working in a professional firm, you will have to scan the firm's employee salary details.

Make Good Connection in Real Estate Field: 

A home inspector can earn through home information packs or by providing information to estate agents. In addition, they can work with lawyers and solicitors who offer in-house packs or join a corporate surveying firm. 

Work as a freelancer - 

They can be self-employed, particularly conducting inspections for homeowners where the buyer usually pays for the home inspection. 

Most qualified home inspectors become property valuers by doing the ABBE Level 4 Certificate (in Valuation of Residential Property for Secured Lending).

Conclusion: - 

A home inspector's job involves looking into the home foundation, structural components, electrical, plumbing works and other related problems in the house. It is one of the last opportunities to discover problems with the house before purchasing. If your survey reveals bad results, you can renegotiate your original offer with the seller to cover the costs.

In addition, it is an opportunity for the seller to address inherent problems in the house and repair before renegotiating rates with the buyer. A home inspector can work independently and earn through each project or join a firm. The salary depends on the factors like location, type and age of the property.