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A Home Report is a mandatory document required for most residential property sales in Scotland. It includes a survey, an energy report, and a property questionnaire. Crucially, the seller pays for it — unlike England where the buyer pays for their own survey. The Home Report valuation sets the maximum amount a mortgage lender will typically fund.
The Home Report is one of the features that makes buying property in Scotland fundamentally different from England. It's a package of three documents commissioned by the seller before listing the property for sale.
The three documents. First, the Single Survey: a professional assessment by a RICS-qualified surveyor, rating the property from 1 (no action needed) to 3 (urgent action needed) across categories like structure, damp, and roof condition, plus a valuation figure. Second, the Energy Report: an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) showing the property's energy efficiency rating. Third, the Property Questionnaire: a seller-completed document covering factual information like council tax band, utility suppliers, alterations, and any known disputes.
The seller pays. In Scotland, the Home Report is commissioned and paid for by the seller before the property goes to market. The cost typically ranges from £400 to £1,200 depending on property size and location. In England, sellers have no equivalent obligation — each interested buyer arranges and pays for their own survey after offering.
The valuation matters for mortgages. The Home Report valuation sets the benchmark against which mortgage lenders assess the property. Most lenders will fund up to 90–95% of the Home Report value (or the purchase price, whichever is lower). If you bid above the Home Report value — common in competitive "offers over" situations — the portion above the valuation must come from your own funds. Lenders will not fund above the surveyor's stated value.
Using someone else's Home Report. Any interested buyer can request a copy of the Home Report, usually for a small fee (around £20–£50) charged by the seller's solicitor. Your mortgage lender will typically accept the existing Home Report rather than requiring a new one, unless the property has specific issues or the report is more than 12 weeks old.
Exceptions. Home Reports are not required for new builds, properties sold at auction, agricultural property with land, or properties where the seller is a corporate body relocating an employee. New-build developers typically commission their own reports before handover.
Not necessarily — most buyers rely on the seller's Home Report rather than commissioning their own. However, if the property has issues flagged in the report, or if you want specialist advice (e.g. on a listed building, a property with a complex roof, or drainage concerns), you can pay for an independent survey. Your mortgage lender will always accept the existing Home Report if it meets their criteria.
Category 3 items (urgent attention) and Category 2 items (requiring repair soon) don't automatically kill a sale, but they affect negotiation. You can use flagged issues to negotiate a lower offer price, or request that the seller carries out specific repairs before completion. Your solicitor can advise on how to make these conditions part of the missives (the binding contract).
There is no fixed statutory expiry, but mortgage lenders typically want a Home Report that is no more than 12 weeks old at the point of mortgage application. If a property has been on the market for longer, a 'top-up' survey may be needed to bring the report up to date. Ask the selling solicitor for the report date before arranging your offer.