Acquiring a Home Report is a vital part of the process when selling your property in Scotland, and every property seller needs to have one – in fact, it’s a legal obligation.
The Home Report consists of four elements: a Single Survey, a Mortgage Valuation, an Energy Report and a Property Questionnaire. Each of these elements of the Home Report provide important information to your buyer so they can make informed decisions when purchasing.
So, in short, yes you do need a Home Report if you’re selling your home in Scotland. However, there are a few exemptions e.g. new builds homes sold “off-plan” or “Right to Buy” homes. You can find out more about the Home Report exemptions here.
As a first-time seller, you might be uncertain about what a Home Report involves and when you need to get one.
You must have a Home Report carried out before your property is put on the market, and your Home Report needs to be available to buyers within nine days of the property being advertised for sale. Don’t worry though – your selling agent will talk you through the process and will, most likely, source the Home Report on our behalf.
Some aspects of the Home Report will be completed by you or your agent, e.g. the Property Questionnaire, whereas some aspects will need to be completed by a RICS-registered Chartered Surveyor who will need to visit your property.
A surveyor will need to visit your property to complete a Single Survey, provide a Mortgage Valuation and produce the Energy Report.
The Single Survey is a detailed assessment of the condition of the property, outlining whether any aspects need immediate attention or whether no action is needed. The Single Survey will also include an accessibility audit, providing information that’s particularly useful to the elderly, disabled or those with young children.
The surveyor will also provide a Mortgage Valuation. The Mortgage Valuation is for the benefit of your buyer’s lender so they can make an informed choice about how much they’re willing to lend. The surveyor uses expert knowledge of the local housing market, combined with recent sales data for similar properties that have sold in your area.
Note: Mortgage Valuations from Walker Fraser Steele are accepted by most lenders.
Finally, the Energy Report is an assessment of how energy efficient your property is and will offer suggestions on improvements that could be made.
Walker Fraser Steele is a leading provider of Scottish residential surveys – offering all of the aspects of the Home Report explained above and ensuring that the information provided is an accurate representation of your property.
If you have any questions about the Scottish Home Report, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.