I investigated the possibility of becoming an HIPS inspector. I have a friend who uses someone already qualified and he put me on to her. She told me she gets £80 and at the time was getting on average 3 surveys a week. The most she had ever done in a week was 10 and this was just once. She has over 20 years experience with the local property businesses and has many contacts. She told me that she knew of many other inspectors who had quit good jobs on the false promises of the training companies and nonsense newspaper articles saying that an inspector could expect to earn at least £50k. She told me that competition for work meant that guys were doing surveys for as little as £50!
The training company literature I received stated that the going rate was around £130 and the course would cost £3k and take 3 months. Speaking with someone who had been through this experience, the reality was that it would have cost nearer to £5k.
My view is that HIPS are purely a waste of money, foisted on us by politicians who were supposed to be making it easier and quicker to buy and sell a property. The opposite effect is true and since the law came into force, vendors have even been put off marketing their properties.
What should have happened is estate agents should have been forced into making energy rating assesments when they survey the properties they are going to market. They could then charge for this service after the sale has been agreed.
Local searches are pointless until the time a sale is agreed as things constantly change. As purchaser I would not take one bit of notice of information supplied by people not instructed by myself.
I wouldn’t pay more than £100 for a HIP.