Home Reports

We introduced the Home Report in 2008 to address the aims identified in the Stewardship and Responsibility report:

  • to provide better information about the condition of properties to sellers and buyers before offers are placed (and give sellers an incentive to carry out repairs before marketing their properties)
  • to address the problem of multiple surveys and valuations being carried out
  • to address the problem of artificially low asking prices being set

Development of the Home Report was informed by the Home Report Implementation Group (HRIG) which included representatives from:

  • the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
  • the Law Society of Scotland
  • the Council of Mortgage Lenders
  • the National Association of Estate Agents
  • Citizens Advice Scotland
  • the Scottish Government

The HRIG also helped steer development of the interim and five-year policy reviews.

Home Report review

We carried out a review of the Home Report to look at how it worked in its first five years. This included a Home Report public consultation held in December 2013 and a Home Report research report published in January 2015.

A fresh review of the Home Report is planned for the second half of 2021.

How to apply to be a Single Survey provider

The Home Report comprises three documents: an Energy Report, a Property Questionnaire and a Single Survey. Only surveyors registered with or authorised to practise by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors can produce Single Surveys.

Applications from any other professional organisations will need to satisfy certain criteria for becoming a Single Survey provider.

Related information

Find out more about Home Reports and the process of buying a home in Scotland on the mygov.scot website.

An archive of the development of the home report is available.

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