An Inspector calls - HIPS Homebuyers pack tale

An inspector calls...

Well more of a surveyor really.

Let me explain. We've just put our house up for sale and a week into the process have had to stump some cash for the HIPS pack preparation.

Part of which is a survey to conclude the a-rating (energy efficiency rating) of our home.

Now being under 10 years old and still with its NHBC guarantee intact, you'd think it would be a bit of a formality - after all, we're double glazed, thermostat laden and loft insulated up to our eyeballs - sometimes it feels like we're almost hermetically sealed indoors, once we've locked up for the night.

So anyway, the surveyor turned up.

He looked at the windows, he looked at the boiler, he looked in the airing cupboard and exclaimed "Good your immersion tank is lagged" (what was he expecting? the mind boggles) and then to crown off the event, stood on our daughters bedroom chair, reached his hand through the loft space and reckoned there was a good level of insulation when he patted it with his hand.

If he used a tape measure, I never saw it (or maybe he knows how long his fingers are to the mm?).

5 minutes tops and he was off with a cheery "I don't think you have anything to worry about and you'll get a good energy rating".

What have we paid for? What of ours (and yours) potential buyers - what of ourselves when we start looking for the next place to call home, what faith do we, you, put in the energy rating.

After seeing the scientific method in which ours was carried out. I'm not sure you can reach any conclusion other than the inside of the loft can be easily reached by standing on a chair. Well that will help with putting the Christmas decorations away won't it?

And I needed a survey to tell me that?

On the subject of lofts, I came across a really good website the other week. If you're thinking of expanding rather than moving, then this website called Loftquoter. It lets you type in your own house dimensions and calculates a cost for a proper loft conversion for you there and then online. Dead easy to do - I admit I tried it and guessed at the rough dimensions, but at least I had a rough figure in mind for the job.

In fact I only later discovered the same online service does all manner of home improvement quotes - worth a visit - click here.