What Is a Home Report?
Scottish sellers must provide a survey, valuation and disclosure pack before marketing, at their own expense. Here is what it contains and how to read it.
The Short Version
- Scottish sellers must provide a Home Report before marketing, at their own cost
- Three parts: Single Survey, Energy Report and Property Questionnaire
- Condition is graded Category 1 (fine), 2 (attention needed) or 3 (urgent)
- The valuation matters: lenders lend against the lower of price and valuation
- The Property Questionnaire discloses flooding, common repairs and factoring
- New builds and right-to-buy sales are exempt
What a Home Report is
Since December 2008, sellers of most residential property in Scotland must provide a Home Report before the property goes on the market. It is prepared at the seller's expense and made available free to any genuinely interested buyer.
This has no equivalent in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, where buyers commission and pay for their own survey, usually after an offer has been accepted, and often on a property that subsequently falls through.
The three parts
1. The Single Survey
A condition report prepared by a chartered surveyor, covering the structure, roof, walls, windows, services and grounds. Each element receives a category:
- Category 1: no immediate action or repair needed
- Category 2: repairs or replacement needing attention, but not urgently
- Category 3: urgent repairs or further investigation needed
The Single Survey also contains a valuation of the property in its current condition, and an accessibility audit describing suitability for someone with limited mobility.
2. The Energy Report
Contains the Energy Performance Certificate, rating energy efficiency and environmental impact from A to G, with recommendations for improvement and indicative costs and savings.
3. The Property Questionnaire
Completed by the seller rather than the surveyor. It covers council tax band, parking arrangements, alterations and any consents obtained, notices affecting the property, history of flooding, and, importantly for flats, details of common repairs, factoring arrangements and shared responsibilities.
This is often the most revealing section, because it is where a seller must disclose things a surveyor could not observe: a history of flooding, an ongoing dispute, a pending common repair scheme.
Why it matters for buyers
The practical effect is that Scottish buyers know a great deal before committing money. You can read the condition report, see the surveyor's valuation and check the disclosures before deciding whether to offer at all.
That is significant given how Scottish transactions work. Because missives conclude relatively early and bind you, having condition information upfront is what makes early commitment reasonable.
It also removes a cost that English buyers repeatedly absorb. An English buyer whose purchase falls through after a bad survey has typically paid several hundred pounds for the privilege, and may do so more than once.
How the valuation affects your mortgage
The Home Report valuation matters because lenders will usually lend against the lower of the purchase price and the valuation.
If a property valued at £200,000 sells for £215,000 after competitive bidding, the £15,000 difference must come from your own funds on top of your deposit. In areas where offers over pricing regularly produces sales above valuation, this catches buyers out.
Some lenders will accept a Home Report from the seller's surveyor; others require their own valuation or a transcription onto their panel. Check with your lender or broker early.
What a Home Report does not do
- It is not a full structural survey. Where the Single Survey flags Category 3 items, a specialist report may still be needed.
- It is commissioned by the seller. The surveyor owes a duty to the buyer as well, and can be relied on, but you may still want your own advice where significant issues appear.
- It has a shelf life. Reports older than around twelve weeks may need refreshing, and lenders may not accept a dated valuation.
- It does not cover title. Boundaries, servitudes, burdens and title conditions are your solicitor's work, not the surveyor's.
Exemptions
Not every Scottish property needs one. Exemptions include new build properties sold for the first time, right-to-buy sales, properties sold with a related non-residential element, portfolio sales, and certain seasonal or holiday accommodation. Where a property is exempt, a buyer may want to commission their own survey instead.
How to read one properly
Go to the Property Questionnaire first, the seller's disclosures often reveal more than the condition ratings. Then read every Category 3 entry and price the work realistically before deciding on your offer. Check the valuation against your intended offer and confirm the funding gap you would face if you bid above it. Finally, for flats, read the common repairs section carefully. A pending roof or stonework scheme on a tenement can run to many thousands of pounds per flat.
A Note on Jurisdiction
Home Reports are a Scottish requirement only. Buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must commission and pay for their own survey, and typically do so after an offer is accepted, meaning the cost is lost if the transaction falls through.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for the Home Report in Scotland?
The seller. A Home Report must be commissioned and paid for by the seller before the property is marketed, and provided free to genuinely interested buyers on request. Costs typically range from around £350 to £900 depending on property size and value.
Can I rely on the seller's Home Report, or do I need my own survey?
The surveyor owes a duty of care to the buyer as well as the seller, so the Single Survey can generally be relied upon. However, where Category 3 items appear, urgent repairs or matters needing further investigation, you may want a specialist report on that specific issue. For most straightforward purchases the Home Report is sufficient.
What happens if I offer more than the Home Report valuation?
Your lender will normally lend against the lower of the price and the valuation, so the difference must come from your own funds in addition to your deposit. In competitive markets where offers over pricing pushes sales above valuation, this shortfall can be substantial. Check the valuation before deciding your maximum offer.
Do new build properties need a Home Report?
No. New build properties being sold for the first time are exempt, as are right-to-buy sales, portfolio sales, properties sold with a significant non-residential element and certain seasonal accommodation. Where a property is exempt, buyers may wish to commission their own survey.
Keep Reading
Related Guides and Pages
Missives Explained
Why Scottish buyers commit earlier, and why the Home Report makes that workable.
Scotland vs England
The full set of differences between the two systems.
Scottish Tenement Flats
Common repairs, factoring and shared responsibility explained.