Getting a Home Report

What is a Home Report?

A Home Report contains information about a property currently on sale.

It's made up of:

• a single survey and house valuation

• a property questionnaire

• an energy report

It's a legal requirement to provide a Home Report before you sell a property in Scotland.

What does a Home Report cover?

Single survey and valuation

A chartered surveyor will carry out a visual inspection of your property. They will then use their findings to tell you about the condition of your property, how accessible it is and any repairs you may need to carry out. A single survey will also give you an approximate value of how much your property is worth.

The single survey is split into three categories:

• category 1 - no immediate repair is necessary

• category 2 - repair or replacement requiring future attention

• category 3 - urgent repairs or replacement are needed now.

Property questionnaire

The property questionnaire covers 16 different areas. It is designed to provide you with more information about your property.

The questionnaire will provide you information on:

• the council tax band

• parking arrangements

• any alterations or extensions that have been made

• any issues that may have affected the property such as fire, storm damage or asbestos

• if there are any additional charges for living at the property such as charges for upkeep of communal areas

• any notices which may affect the property

• specialist works or guarantees.

Energy report

The energy report, also known as the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will tell the buyer how much it will cost, on average, for lighting, heating and hot water.

It will also provide information on the property’s carbon dioxide emissions and whether any work can be carried out to improve the energy efficiency of the property.

An EPC uses an A-G scale, with A being the most efficient and G being the least.

Do I need a Home Report before I sell my property?

It’s a legal requirement in Scotland to provide prospective buyers with a Home Report. If you try to sell a property without a Home Report, you could be fined up to £500.

We’ll automatically include your Home Report on your property listing, so you don’t need to do anything.

You do not need to get a Home Report for your property if it's:

• a new build home being sold by the developer for the first time

• a newly converted home which has not been used since the conversion

• seasonal and holiday accommodation which can’t be used all year round

• due to be demolished

• a property that also has a commercial use (for example, a shop with a flat above)

• a property purchased through the Right to Buy scheme.

If the Home Report highlights a problem, what should I do?

It’s your choice whether to fix any problems highlighted in the Home Report. You might decide to leave it if you don’t have the time or it’s too costly. However, not fixing any potential issues may impact the overall property sale price or cause other problems with the sale.

You can ask your solicitor or surveyor for advice on whether to fix any issues highlighted in the Home Report.

How long does a Home Report last for?

There is no official expiry date for a Home Report once your property is on the market. However, the documents within the Home Report must be no older than 12 weeks when your property is first advertised.

A prospective buyer may request a ‘refresh survey’ if the property has been on the market for a long time. If this happens, it will be down to both you and the buyer to negotiate who pays for it to be carried out if there is a cost. If a buyer does request a 'refresh survey', you should contact your solicitor or surveyor to discuss the next steps.

You can also take your property off the market for a period of up to four weeks without needing to get a new Home Report.

Who puts the Home Report together?

The single survey and energy report will be completed by a qualified surveyor, whereas the property questionnaire will be completed by you and your Local Property Partner.

Once you start the selling process with us, we’ll take care of everything for you. We’ll automatically display your Home Report on your property listing so there’s nothing for you to do.

How can I get a Home Report from Purplebricks?

Once you start the selling process, you’ll have the option to purchase a Home Report for a fixed price of £599 and we’ll take care of everything for you.

When you select a Home Report as part of your instruction package, you’ll have the option to defer the payment until a later date.

Ready to sell your property? Let's get to it.