About Home Reports

About Home Reports Information for sellers Information for buyers

Confused about Home Reports? s1homes helps you make sense of it all

From December 1st 2008, everyone selling a property in Scotland must pay for a Home Report to be produced about their property before they market it to prospective buyers.

So what is a Home Report?

A Home Report consists of three documents:

• Single survey
• Energy report
• Property questionnaire

The single survey is carried out by a chartered surveyor and is an assessment of the condition of the home, a valuation and an accessibility audit for people with particular needs.

The energy report is also carried out by a chartered surveyor and is an assessment of the energy efficiency of the home and its environmental impact. It also recommends ways to improve its energy efficiency.

The property questionnaire is completed by the seller of the home. It contains additional information about the home, such as Council Tax banding and factoring costs that will be useful to buyers.

How does a Home Report differ from a HIP?

A HIP (or to give its full name, a Home Information Pack) is the report that people in England and Wales have to complete before selling their homes. They became law in December 2007 for all properties for sale in England and Wales.

The Scottish Home Report is much more extensive than a HIP as it includes a survey and a market valuation carried out by a chartered surveyor. The HIP just covers the legal documents and searches that need to be gathered before a property can be sold.

The property markets in England and Wales work very differently to the property system in Scotland. Home Reports and HIPs have been designed to work for their own specific system.

Why have Home Reports been introduced?

The government says the Home Report system has been introduced to give buyers all the information they need before making an offer on a property. In theory buyers won't have to pay for a survey on a property before they make an offer as the Home Report will include the necessary information including a market valuation. However some lawyers are already saying they will advise clients wanting to buy a house to pay for their own independent survey and valuation.

Who pays for a Home Report?

Home Reports are paid for by the seller of the property.

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