Anyone planning a move to a home in Scotland will meet a Scottish document called the Home Report. It is produced before a property is marketed, and it shapes decisions that feed straight into moving plans, from how much repair work to budget for to whether a removal date is realistic. This article explains what the Home Report contains and how a buyer can use it, according to the Scottish Government. It applies to Scotland only; the site’s guide to how offers, missives and settlement set the date you get the keys covers the sales timeline.
What the Home Report is
According to mygov.scot, if a home is publicly known to be for sale it should have a Home Report, and a buyer can ask the seller, their solicitor or their estate agent for it. The Home Report is split into three parts: a single survey and valuation, a property questionnaire and an energy report. The Scottish Government says it introduced the Home Report in 2008 to give sellers and buyers better information about a property’s condition before offers are placed, to address the problem of multiple surveys and valuations being carried out, and to address the problem of artificially low asking prices.
The Home Report comprises three documents: an Energy Report, a Property Questionnaire and a Single Survey. The Government’s policy page adds that only surveyors registered with or authorised to practise by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors can produce Single Surveys.
Getting a copy
mygov.scot states that a seller or selling agent must give a Home Report within nine days of being asked. If it is not provided within nine days, the buyer can contact their local council’s trading standards service. A seller may refuse only in limited situations: where they do not believe the person is seriously interested in buying, do not believe they have enough money, or would prefer not to sell to them, although they cannot discriminate for illegal reasons.
Part 1: the single survey and valuation
This section is based on a visual inspection by a chartered surveyor. It describes the home, its condition and accessibility, and any repairs that may be needed, and it gives a valuation, which mygov.scot describes as an opinion on how much the home is worth. For movers, the practical consequence is on the budget side: if any repairs are marked as urgent or needing future attention, the buyer should consider whether they can cope with the cost or inconvenience, and mygov.scot suggests getting estimates before proceeding. A buyer who decides they cannot cope with the repairs can walk away at this stage without penalty. The report is therefore worth reading before committing to a removal date.
Part 2: the property questionnaire
The property questionnaire covers 16 categories designed to give more information about the home. According to mygov.scot, these include the council tax band, past issues such as fire or storm damage or asbestos, alterations or extensions, details of specialist works or guarantees, and notices that might affect the home.
Part 3: the energy report
The energy report gives information on the home’s energy efficiency in the form of an Energy Performance Certificate. It tells the buyer about energy use and roughly how much heating, lighting and hot water will cost on average, rates the home’s environmental impact in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, and gives contact details for advice on making the home more energy efficient. This helps a household forecast running costs for the new address, a step the site’s guide to moving house budgets encourages.
Homes that do not need a Home Report
mygov.scot lists several exceptions: houses on the market since before 1 December 2008, new houses being sold off-plan or to the first occupier, newly converted homes not yet used in their converted state, dual-use homes used for both residential and non-residential purposes, and seasonal holiday homes that can only be used at certain times of year. If a home does not need a Home Report, the seller must still give an Energy Performance Certificate.
Common questions
Does this apply to sales in England or Wales? No. The Home Report described here comes from Scottish Government sources, so this article covers Scotland only.
Can a buyer walk away after reading the report? mygov.scot says a buyer who does not think they can cope with the repairs can walk away at that stage without penalty.
The bottom line
In Scotland, a Home Report of three parts, a single survey and valuation, a property questionnaire and an energy report, should be available for most homes on the market, and a seller or agent must supply it within nine days of a request. Reading it before an offer helps a mover budget for repairs, understand past works and forecast energy costs, which in turn helps set a realistic moving date and removal budget. Exceptions apply for certain categories of property, but an Energy Performance Certificate is still required. This is general information, not legal advice.