The home condition report is going to be a key part of the home information pack. Only qualified home inspectors will be able to produce the home condition report.

Research carried out by Government indicates that almost 30% of transactions fail between offer acceptance and exchange of contracts and that in over 40% of these cases this is due to survey related problems. That is why the Government wishes to include a Home Condition Report (HCR) in the Home Information Pack.

The Home Condition Report is going to be an objective report on the condition of the property that can be relied upon by buyers, sellers and mortgage lenders. The home condition report will be done in Plain English in a standard format and will describe the general condition of the property taking account of its age, character and location; how energy efficient it is; and any defects or other matters requiring attention.

The Home Condition Report is designed to be a 'mid-range' survey, similar to the current Homebuyer Survey and Valuation though not as detailed as a Building Survey but certainly a lot more extensive than a mortgage lender's valuation inspection.

The Housing Act requires that, before a home is put on the market, a home information pack containing a home condition report will have to be assembled by the seller or the estate agent. The implementation of home condition report is opening up new career opportunities. It is estimated that a total of approximately 7,500 to 8,500 home inspectors will be needed in England and Wales in order to supply the anticipated demand for Home Condition Reports following implementation of the reforms.

Home inspectors who will be doing the home condition report will be independently certified by an industry-run scheme approved by the Government. The home inspector qualification will be at NVQ Level 4 (equivalent to degree level) and will require in-depth knowledge and practical understanding of residential building construction and defects across a range of properties as set out in the approved National Occupational Standards for Home Inspectors.