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Q1 – Do I need a home Report |
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A – If you are going to be marketing your property in any way, including telling a few mates down the pub, then you now require to have a Home Report prior to that marketing. You can be fined for every instance of marketing prior to the Home Report being available. You do then however have up to 9 days to deliver that report to any potential buyer, unless you believe that they are not a serious potential buyer or that you would not sell your house to that person anyway. |
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Q2 - What documents are included in the Home Report? |
| A - By law the Home Report must include a Single Survey, an Energy Report and a Property Questionnaire. Onesurvey will also include a Mortgage Report with a Valuation Certificate included in the basic fee.
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Q3 - Who will compile a Home Report? |
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A - The Home Report will be compiled by Onesurvey on instruction by the seller or his agent. An RICS member chartered surveyor or other provider (approved by Scottish Ministers) will provide the Single Survey, Energy Report and Mortgage Certificate. The seller of the house will complete the Property Questionnaire.
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Q4 - I am a private seller, and do not plan on using a solicitor or estate agent to market my house. Do I need a Home Report? |
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A - Yes, under Part 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, a person who is responsible for marketing a house must provide a Home Report to any prospective purchasers. To do this you will need to commission a Chartered Surveyor to carry out the Single Survey, Energy Report and Mortgage Certificate. You must also complete a Property Questionnaire and then you will need to deliver copies to people that request them - or you can let Onesurvey do it for you.
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Q5 - Who pays for the Home Report? |
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A - The seller is responsible for providing the Home Report and can pay for it by cash, cheque, credit card or deferred payment, there is even a no upfront cost No Sale No Fee option coming soon. There is nothing in the legislation insisting that the buyer must reimburse the seller for the cost of the Home Report however any price you ask for the property should reflect the cost and any work that you have completed to rectify any issues. We also believe that the whole new concept is good because you will not have to pay for loads of surveys on the properties you are looking at in turn.
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Q6 - How much will a Home Report cost? |
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A - The cost of a Single Survey, Mortgage Certificate and Energy Report will be set by individual surveying firms and will vary according to the size of the house. There should be very little, if any, costs associated with the Property Questionnaire as it is completed by the seller of the home. The fee scales are available on the Onesurvey website and remember that if you are offered a “free Home Report” or even a low cost option, beware. The cost of using a properly qualified surveyor is significant and that cost cannot just be removed, you will be paying for it somewhere, cutting corners on this can cause serious issues later – particularly with lenders and buyers’ solicitors.
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Q7 - How 'old' can the Home Report documents be when the house is put on the market for sale? |
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A - The legislation says that the documents should be no more than 12 weeks old when the house is put on the market.
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Q8 - Will the Home Report have a specified shelf life? (i.e. should sellers have to pay for refreshed surveys if their houses have not sold after a few months?) |
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A - The legislation does not impose a set shelf life or validity period for any of the Home Report documents. This reflects current practice for survey reports. Decisions as to whether any aspects of the Home Report need to be updated are for sellers, buyers and their professional advisers to take, depending on the circumstances of each case. The valuation element is the part most likely to change so that if it is over 3 months old lenders may ask for a refreshed valuation. That can be done for a nominal fee when required for a buyer to get his mortgage and the buyer should pay for that.
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Q9 - How will I pay for the Home Report? |
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A - Onesurvey provides a number of options for the payment of your Home Report with cash, cheque, credit card or deferred payment facilities available.
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Q10 - Will the Home Report have a specified shelf life? (i.e. should sellers
have to pay for refreshed surveys if their houses have not sold after a few months?) |
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A - The legislation does not impose a set shelf life or validity period for any
of the Home Report documents. This reflects current practice for survey reports.
Decisions as to whether any aspects of the Home Report need to be updated are for
sellers, buyers and their professional advisers to take, depending on the circumstances
of each case.
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Q11 - How will I pay for the Home Report? |
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A - Onesurvey provides a number of options for the payment of your Home Report with
cash, cheque, credit card or deferred payment facilities available.
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Q12 - What happens if the Single Survey identifies a significant problem with the condition of the house such as dry or wet rot? Does the seller have to rectify the problem? |
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A - That is a decision for the seller. The seller may choose to rectify the problem , may obtain quotes to identify the actual costs, or may for other reasons, market the house immediately. There is nothing in the legislation forcing the seller down one particular route. From the Single Survey report, the seller will at least be aware that there is a problem and have options to decide what to do about it. |
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