Glossary · UK
What is Home Report (Scotland)?
A pack of property information, including a survey, energy report and questionnaire, that sellers in Scotland must provide before marketing most homes.
Full Definition
A Home Report is a pack of standardised property information that most residential sellers in Scotland are legally required to commission and make available before marketing a property for sale, in contrast to England and Wales, where an equivalent survey is typically arranged by the buyer after an offer is accepted rather than provided upfront by the seller. It contains three main documents: a Single Survey, prepared by a chartered surveyor, giving a valuation and a condition assessment of the property, similar in scope to a Homebuyer Report used elsewhere in the UK; an Energy Report, assessing the property's energy efficiency and recommending improvements, broadly equivalent to an Energy Performance Certificate; and a Property Questionnaire, completed by the seller, covering practical matters such as council tax band, factoring/maintenance arrangements for shared areas, and any notices or alterations affecting the property. Because the Home Report is prepared before marketing and shared with all prospective buyers, it allows buyers in Scotland to make an offer with a reasonable understanding of the property's condition and value already in hand, which fits with the Scottish conveyancing process where an accepted offer, formalised through concluded missives, creates an immediately binding contract -- unlike the English and Welsh system, where a survey and mortgage offer are typically arranged after an offer is accepted but before contracts are exchanged. Certain property types, including new build homes sold by a builder and some commercial or agricultural property, are exempt from the Home Report requirement, and buyers can still commission their own additional survey if they want a second opinion beyond the seller-provided report.