SAVA Home Inspector Certification Scheme

Home Inspectors are trained to produce:

  • SAVA Certification Scheme logoHome Condition Reports (HCR) – for home sellers who want a report of this type within their Home Information Pack to give to potential buyers
  • Home Condition Surveys (HCS) – for home buyers who want an independent survey of a property before they buy, to help protect their investment

Anyone who has achieved the relevant HI qualification and who wants to trade as a home inspector and produce HCRs must be a member of a Government-approved certification scheme.

The SAVA certification scheme builds upon SAVA's reputation as a champion of residential property surveying standards. Our checks and quality assurance procedures are thorough and guarantee consumer confidence in Home Condition Reports and other surveys.

Who can join the SAVA certification scheme?

Any qualified home inspector. You don’t need to have trained with SAVA and you can switch from another certification scheme at any time.

The Home Condition Survey

The SAVA HCS has been designed for buyers but closely follows the same inspection and reporting principles as the Home Condition Report. The biggest differences are that it does not contain an energy report (most properties should already have an EPC as part of the HIP) and there are revised terms of engagement.

Read more about recent improvements to the Home Condition Survey

Although the SAVA HCS is a separate scheme in its own right, having a different Code of Practice and Terms of Engagement, membership is exclusive to Members of the SAVA Certification Scheme.

SAVA Home Condition Survey promotional materials

We support our members by providing marketing support to help explain the HCS to two key groups: conveyancing solicitors and the home buyer. We provide our members with printed literature, images and text to use for meetings, advertising and websites.

Benefits for HIs

  • Comprehensive Insurance
    You will receive comprehensive Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance for all reports registered with the scheme so there is no need to carry your own cover for producing HCRs. Read a summary here.
  • Easy to use HCR and HCS software
    You will gain access to our easy-to-use, industry leading survey software available 24/7 on the NES one portal.
  • On-demand technical support
    You will have access to a dedicated Technical Support team to answer your queries – whether they are about our software systems, about the SAP or RDSAP conventions, or about your business. For more details click here.
  • Technical Bulletins
    You will receive regular copies of our HI Technical Bulletins and RDSAP Technical Bulletins, keeping you up-to-date on Home Condition Reporting developments, associated issues and tips on using our software. Click here for a sample bulletin.
  • Online storage
    You will be able to upload inspection records, photos and other information and store it in a secure area with full daily backups. This simplifies audit and complaint investigation procedures, and is in addition to your own record keeping requirements.
  • Monitoring and compliance support
    You will be supported throughout our monitoring and compliance checks, secure in the knowledge that your surveys are of the highest quality so people can act with confidence on the recommendations contained within them.
  • Identity cards, marketing and branding support
    You will receive an identity card for use during appointments, information leaflets to give to your customers, and logos for use on websites, stationery and other branded items.

Julia Turner

Our Registration Services team

Julia Turner is registration services co-ordinator for NES. The team manage your application process and your ongoing membership of the SAVA Certification Scheme.

We can answer any queries you may have about membership - call us on 01908 442277.