The three documents in a Scottish Home Report
A Scottish Home Report contains three documents: the Single Survey (RICS surveyor); the Energy Report (EPC); and the Property Questionnaire (seller-completed). All three must be provided to any genuinely interested buyer on request, free of charge.
- Single Survey: condition ratings 1 (no immediate repair), 2 (repair needed now or soon), 3 (urgent repair required); accessibility audit; market valuation used by BTL mortgage lenders
- Energy Report: EPC rating A-G; environmental impact rating; improvement recommendations — critical for Scotland's MEES EPC D requirement for new PRT lettings
- Property Questionnaire: seller-completed factual disclosure — council tax; alterations (planning permission; building warrant); disputes; enforcement notices; flooding history; factoring
- Free on request: must be provided within 9 days of request to any genuinely interested buyer; seller (not buyer) pays for production — typically £400-£800+ depending on property size and location
Home Report validity, cost, and exemptions
The Home Report is valid for 12 weeks from the Single Survey date. The seller bears the cost. Several categories of property are exempt.
- 12-week validity: if not sold within 12 weeks, seller must commission a new or refreshed Single Survey; BTL buyers should check the survey date on any Home Report provided
- Seller-paid: cost typically £400-£800+ depending on property size; cannot be passed to buyer; major cost consideration for sellers of smaller properties
- Exemptions: new-build not previously occupied; newly converted not previously occupied; related party sales without public marketing; repossessions by mortgage lenders; properties with valid Home Report already in place within 12 weeks
- Requesting the report: any genuinely interested buyer can request the full Home Report; must be provided free of charge within 9 days; some agents post extracts online but full report must be provided on request
Using the Home Report for BTL due diligence
For buy-to-let investors purchasing Scottish property, the Home Report is the primary pre-offer due diligence tool — read all three documents before making any offer.
- Condition ratings and acquisition modelling: Rating 3 = immediate capital expenditure; Rating 2 = planned expenditure within 1-3 years; model repair costs against acquisition price and rental yield before offering
- BTL mortgage valuation — down-valuation risk: BTL lenders lend at LTV against the Home Report valuation, not the asking price; if asking price exceeds valuation, investor funds the gap from cash reserves
- EPC and Scotland MEES: EPC D or above required for new Scottish PRT lettings; E, F, or G-rated properties need improvement works before they can be lawfully let; cost the improvement works from Energy Report recommendations before purchasing
- Property Questionnaire red flags: unauthorised alterations; enforcement notices; neighbour disputes; flooding history; factoring obligations and outstanding major works assessments
Scottish conveyancing and the Home Report in practice
The Home Report fits into Scotland's distinct missives conveyancing system — buyers review it before making a formal offer through their solicitor.
- Request before offering: always request and read the full Home Report before submitting any offer — the condition ratings and valuation directly determine the appropriate offer price
- Missives: Scottish conveyancing uses formal offer letters and qualified acceptances exchanged through solicitors; once missives are concluded, parties are contractually bound — unlike England where exchange of contracts is the binding moment
- Property Enquiry Certificate (PEC): Scottish solicitors also obtain searches (PEC — planning; building warrants; roads; sewers; charges) alongside the Home Report; both are needed for full pre-purchase due diligence
- No equivalent in England and Wales: England/Wales buyers commission their own RICS survey after the offer is accepted; Scotland's Home Report system provides pre-offer structural due diligence at the seller's expense — a fundamental difference in the buying process