The Housing Improvement Task Force examined the issues affecting the condition and quality of private sector housing and the process of buying and selling houses. It made over 150 recommendations to improve the condition of Scotland's privately-owned housing.
Core to these was the proposal for better information on house condition to be available in the buying and selling process for houses. These proposals led to the Home Report which a seller or their agent has had to provide, upon request, for all properties marketed for sale since December 1 2008.
This section also contains details on help available to first-time buyers, including the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT), which brings together a range of Scottish Government initiatives to help households to get onto the housing ladder.
You will also find in this section information on where to find figures for up-to-date house prices. The Scottish Government also publishes information to help people in mortgage difficulties.