A used-car pre-purchase inspection is a clean €50-70 for 90 minutes of work, if the client trusts you. And there are plenty of clients: most buyers of used cars are scared of getting ripped off.

This guide is a 90-day roadmap: what to do in week 1, month 1, month 3. Concrete steps. No passive income nonsense.

Realistic earnings in 3 months

Numbers are not speculative, they come from market rates and observation of working inspectors:

Stage	Rate	Jobs / month	Revenue
Month 1 (start)	€35	3-5	€105-175
Month 2	€50	6-8	€300-400
Month 3	€60	8-12	€480-720
Month 6+	€70	12-20	€840-1,400

This is realistic side income, inspections fit into weekends. Full-time inspectors with two years of experience do 40-60 jobs a month at €80-100 each.

Is this for you?

Car inspection is work for practical people, not for mechanics with diplomas. You don’t need to know every make or rebuild engines. You need to systematically work through a checklist and communicate professionally with the client.

Good fit if:

You’ve been driving for years and can tell a healthy engine from a sick one.
You can point at a paint patch and say “this was repainted”.
You can act professionally around strangers.
You have a free weekend per month for 3-5 inspections.

Bad fit if:

You can’t stand dirty cars (you’ll see plenty).
You can’t patiently listen to a client who “knows better”.
You expect someone to teach you on a 1-hour Zoom call.

Week 1: preparation

In your first week you don’t look for clients. You prepare so the first inspection isn’t a disaster.

What to do

Inspect your own car using the 30-point checklist. Free practice, you know your car is fine, so every “finding” teaches you what to look for.
Inspect a friend’s car. Tell them you’re practising. Free report. Your first real inspection with no financial pressure.
Build the starter kit, flashlight, paint thickness gauge, OBD2 reader, magnet. Total cost: around €70-90. All from Amazon, 2-day delivery. Full tools list with prices.
Install MotoPPI from the App Store. Click through every screen. See how the pre-report, checklist, and PDF generation work.

What NOT to do in week 1

Don’t post listings yet. No portfolio, no reviews, no experience. Clients pay for certainty, without it, you’re selling fear.
Don’t buy expensive gear (PosiTest, thermal camera). Long-term investment, not a starter buy.
Don’t plan to quit your job. First 6 months = side income, not full-time.

Month 1: first 3-5 jobs

Goal: 3-5 paid jobs at €35. Low rate, deliberate choice, you’re building a portfolio.

Where to find first clients

Local Facebook groups are your only channel at the start. No website, no ads, no invoicing.

Search FB: selling car [your city] and join 5 largest groups.
Daily check new listings. Under each matching one (your area, used car) drop a short comment:

“I can inspect this car for you before purchase. On-site inspection + PDF report. €40. Weekend availability. DM me.”
When someone replies, share your number immediately. Each hour of delay = client goes to someone else.

Your first phone call

The client will be nervous. Your job: calm them down and lead. Working script:

“Hi [name]. Thanks for calling. Block 90 minutes on-site, I’ll bring a paint gauge, OBD scanner, and a checklist. After the inspection you get a PDF report with a suggested price and red flags. Payment after, cash or instant transfer. Saturday 2pm work?”

Five things in one sentence: professionalism, time, tools, deliverable, payment. The client knows exactly what to expect.

First inspection step by step

This is the critical moment. Execute exactly:

Before driving out, paste the listing VIN into MotoPPI. Pre-report is in your hands. You know if the car isn’t stolen, if it wasn’t at a salvage auction, and what the typical model issues are.
On-site, open the app and work through the checklist point by point. Narrate what you’re doing out loud: “now I’m measuring the paint”, “looking under the car”.
For every defect, photograph it in the app and describe it specifically: “passenger door dent, about 5cm” not “damage”.
After the inspection, do a 5-minute wrap-up with the client: “Three key things: [concrete items]. Maximum price I’d pay: X.”
Generate the PDF report in the app and send to client via email / WhatsApp.

After the first inspection

Same evening:

Ask for a review on Google Maps or Facebook. SMS to client: “Thanks for today. If everything’s good, please leave a short Google review: [link].”
Note the lessons. What went well, what didn’t. Your first inspection takes 2.5h, your tenth takes 75 min.

Month 2: scaling to €50

After 5 jobs you have a portfolio and first reviews. Time for a price hike and more channels.

What changes

Raise rate from €35 to €50. The cheapest clients will drop off, good. The €50 client is less needy than the €35 client because they chose deliberately.
Set up Google Business Profile, free. Search “car inspection [city]” and see the competition. After 10 reviews Google shows you on page 1.
Add a second channel: AutoTrader / similar marketplace usługi. Paid, but clients with wallets ready. First month is a €20-40 investment, breaks even on 1 job.

The 12-pack subscription

At 6+ inspections per month, the 12-pack in MotoPPI (€70) starts paying off. Cost per report drops from €9 to ~€6, at a €50 client rate that’s €44 margin instead of €41.

Don’t buy the pack early. First check is free, next ones at €9, the pack only makes sense when you consistently do 4+ inspections a month.

Month 3: partnerships with dealers

Time to scale. After 90 days you have:

10-15 completed inspections
5-8 Google reviews
€60 rate
Knowledge of common issues for 3-4 popular models

The biggest lever now: a partnership with a local used-car dealer.

How to pitch a dealer

Pick a small, local dealer (15-40 cars). Not chains. Talk to the owner in person:

“I do pre-purchase inspections for private buyers. Some of your clients probably want an independent opinion before buying. If you refer me, you get 20% of every job. Your clients get a professional report, you earn on referrals, I earn on the inspection.”

What the dealer gets:

Commission from each referral (20-30%, so €10-20 per €50-70 inspection).
Credibility: “we recommend an independent inspector” boosts trust in the dealer.
A client who bought after inspection rarely comes back with complaints.

What you get:

2-4 inspections per month from one dealer, no client hunting.
Two-three such partnerships = full-time work.

What to avoid in the first 90 days

Three typical mistakes that kill beginners:

Taking jobs outside reasonable drive time. An inspection 2 hours away for €60 when you live in a busy area = €25 fuel loss, 4 hours on the road, one job instead of three in your area. Stick to 30-60 minutes drive time.
Saying “the car is great” to please the client. Clients pay for honesty. You say “great”, car turns out terrible → you get a complaint, no referral, one bad Google review. One 1-star review wipes out 8 five-star ones.
Doing inspections for €20 “because I’m starting”. A €20 rate attracts clients who will torture you for 3 hours, negotiate, refuse to pay if the verdict isn’t what they wanted. Minimum starting rate: €35.

What’s next

If you’ve made it through 90 days with 8-12 jobs a month, time for a decision: side income or full-time. Full-time inspectors do 200-300 jobs a year at €80 each = €16-24k revenue.

Download MotoPPI on the App Store, first check is free.