First of all, please don't worry about having your home inspected!

Your property doesn't "Pass " or "Fail" the inspection as such. What happens is that every major feature or part of the property - both inside and outside - is inspected and given a condition rating of either 1, 2 or 3.

Rating 1 means that the feature inspected is in good order and no repairs are required at this time, although it is - of course - necessary to keep up with normal maintenance routines.

Rating 2 indicates that some minor faults have been discovered and repair or refurbishment is required, but the faults are not considered to be a safety issue and repairs are not urgent.

Rating 3 means that a serious fault or safety hazard requiring immediate attention or specialist intervention has been found.

The Inspection Is Non-Invasive This means that the inspector will not drill holes, take samples, dismantle anything, lift carpets or move furniture etc. To carry out the inspection properly the inspector must be allowed to enter every room in your home, and must be able to view all exterior walls, permanent outbuildings and the roof (from ground level).

The inspector will want to see the locations of your gas and electricity meters and your water stop-cock. As the inspector goes around the property, all fixed lights will be switched on and off, all toilets flushed and all taps turned on and off to check for satisfactory operation and functioning drainage. The inspector will also check that safety-critical windows and doors can be opened. A number of digital photographs showing both external and internal views of the property will be taken.

All Home Condition Reports automatically contain a mandatory Energy Performance Certificate; the Home Inspector is also a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor and will carry out an energy performance assessment whilst on-site. (Please see the separate page for details of how the energy assessment is carried out).