This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Consultation on 'single survey' plan
20/02/2007
A consultation begins today on new draft regulations which require houses for sale to be marketed with both a Single Survey and a Property Sale Questionnaire before an offer can be made.
The Single Survey will give buyers and sellers information about condition and value, and include an energy consumption report on the property. It aims to reduce the amount of money being wasted on multiple surveys and valuations.
The Property Sale Questionnaire will give buyers, solicitors and surveyors information about a property, such as council tax band, parking facilities, local authority permissions and notices, factoring arrangements and alterations.
Taken together, the Single Survey and the questionnaire are intended to reduce the risk of delay and difficulties in the conveyancing process.
Deputy Communities Minister, Des McNulty said:
"The Single Survey and Property Sale Questionnaire will make Scotland's property market fairer for everyone.
"Around 70 per cent of houses in Scotland are owner-occupied. Buying a home is the biggest single purchase most of us make in our lives. And yet most of us rely on the mortgage valuation inspection that takes just a short time to complete and tells us very little about the property we hope to buy and make our home.
"We want to ensure that both buyers and sellers have better information about the condition and value of houses before offers are made. The Single Survey will do this. And the Property Sale Questionnaire will reduce the risk of delay and difficulties in the conveyancing process.
"Arguments that an offer 'subject to survey' is a viable alternative to the Single Survey are misleading and not in either the buyer's or seller's best interest. In this approach the buyer submits an offer before any professional even goes near the property to inspect and make a valuation. That is not how it should be. What we all need is good, reliable information before we put in an offer. It's common sense.
"This is a big change to the way our property market operates, but it is a change that I welcome. I am confident that home buyers and sellers will see this as a system that is fairer for everyone. It really is the right solution for the 21st century property market.
"I encourage all interested parties to read the consultation, offer us their views and take this opportunity to make a real difference on behalf of people buying and selling houses in Scotland."
The consultation, run by Communities Scotland, is on the draft regulations for Part 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and responses are invited by May 15.
Proposals for the introduction of the Single Survey and Property Sale Questionnaire have been developed in consultation with the Purchaser's Information Advisory Group, which includes representatives from:
- The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
- The Law Society of Scotland
- The Scottish Consumer Council
- The National Association of Estate Agents
- The Council of Mortgage Lenders