Must I obtain a Home Report?
Yes. Anyone marketing a home needs to provide a Home Report to potential buyers. Even if you plan to market your home without using an estate agent, you still need to provide a Home Report.
Who Compiles the Home Report?
It is the seller who is responsible for providing the home report. Generally, a Chartered Surveyor produces the Single Survey and Energy Report, and the seller completes the Property Questionnaire.
What will it cost?
The cost will depend on the size of your home and its value. We are able to offer the most competitive fees in the market due to our investment in technology. Get your instant quote today!
How recent must the Home Report be? What is a transcript? What is a Replacement Report?
The Home Report should be no more than 12 weeks old when the property first goes on the market. However there is currently no stated validity period. It is for the owner to decide if they wish to update the Home Report at any point. In practice, updating normally occurs when a buyer shows serious interest in your property and the original Home Report is more that three months old. The reason for this is that the buyer normally needs a mortgage and will want his lender to rely on a mortgage valuation based on the Home Report (this mortgage valuation is called a transcript). Lenders require the transcript to be less than three months old just in case the condition of the property may have changed or the value may have changed. The seller will instruct the surveyor to prepare a Replacement Report. This involves the surveyor in completely re-inspecting the property and updating for any changes in condition or value. This involves quite a bit of work but we offer a significantly reduced fee for this inspection. We also provide the transcript to your buyer’s lender completely free of charge. This is not the case with all surveying firms, So you need to be wary of additional charges. We provide you with a clear fee quote at the outset and this will not change. We are one of the very few firms whose transcripts are accepted by all lenders.
Do I have to give a copy of my Home Report to anyone who asks for it?
You do not have to provide a copy to anyone who you or your agent believes is not serious about buying, or does not have the means to buy.
Will I be forced to fix a problem shown in the Single Survey, such as damp?
The Home Report is intended to let the seller and the buyer know the true condition of the property, the need for repair and its market value. The objective is to remove any nasty surprises or un-budgeted expense. Ideally repairs will either be carried out or will be factored into the purchase price. However, legislation does not require that a seller carry out any repairs. The information in the Home Report allows the property to sell with no last minute problems, it informs the buyer and helps the buyer obtain a mortgage.