What is a Home Report?
A Home Report is a 4 parts document which every seller of a residential property is required to have prior to putting their property onto the market. This requirement is only valid for Scotland, while in England and Wales the buyer will carry a survey only if he wants to.
A Home Report will comprise four separate documents, as follows:
- The Single Survey – this is a report on the general condition of the property and services and any outbuildings. Similar to HBR or Building Surveying a rating will be given to different component depending on what work is required. A valuation of the property in its current condition will also be provided together with a sum for Building Insurance purposes.
- Energy Report – is the Energy Performance Certificate which rates the energy efficiency of the building and is carried by the Chartered Surveyor
- Mortgage Valuation Certificate – is a document which provides a summary of the information and is an indication to a Bank or Building Society how the surveyor would report to a lender for mortgage purposes
- Property Questionnaire – this is a report completed by the current owner of the property and provides information which only the owner will know, including things like alterations, central heating service plans, Rights of Way, council tax bands, property liabilities, etc.
As any surveying service, it will depend by location and the size of the property. Typically prices will start at £350+VAT, an as rule of thumb, for each £100,000 of value £100+VAT will be added.
If you are a buyer, most likely you will want to see the survey report, so, how do you get a copy of a Home Report? Easy, you can request a copy from the seller or their estate agent, and should be with you within 9 working days. Keep in mind, that some charges could apply.
Definitely, yes. Under Part 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, the person accountable for the marketing the property MUST provide a Home Report to any potential purchasers.
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The Home Report remains valid until such time as the property is sold as long as the property is continually marketed. If the property takes longer than 3 months you MAY be asked to update the Home Report so that it can still be used by a mortgage provider.
Usually, a “Replacement” Home Report will be carried out by the original surveyor and will cost just a fraction of the initial price, around £150 – £200.
A property or house survey is a detailed inspection of its current condition. The surveyor needs to inspects all the visible areas of the property and any less obvious areas, such as drains or loft, to be able to highlight any potential issues. They will highlight any major repairs or alterations needed, such as fixing the roof, underpinning for subsidence remediation (normally a specialist opinion will be required for the exact calculations and remedial work requirements), consolidating the chimney chute and more.
The duration of a Home Report will vary based on the size of the property and its complexity, but on average can take from two hours to four hours, or maybe more if the property is really complex.
Written by Danil P.
12th Jan 2021 (Last updated on 24th Jun 2023)
4 minute read
