Getting a Home Report allows everyone in the property-buying process to understand the condition of the property being sold, the property value and its energy rating. Importantly, it also provides information about the urgency of any repairs that need to be made (this is included as part of the Scottish Single Survey document).
So, for vendors, it can be slightly worrying when the Home Report highlights issues with the property that need addressing.
But problems identified by a Home Report are much more common than you think, and it doesn’t have to mean that you won’t find a buyer for your house.
Common problems include things such as damp and mould, electrical issues or structural wood damage. All of these can pose significant safety risks and can have an impact on the house value. However, many problems (such as these) are treatable so try not to be too disheartened if your Single Survey comes back with unforeseen problems.
If the Single Survey aspect of your Home Report does highlight some unexpected issues, here’s what you should do next.
Firstly, you should speak to your Chartered Surveyor. Ask them to give you an overview of the Single Survey report so that you fully understand the issues that have been identified.
After speaking to your surveyor, depending on the problems, it’s likely that you’ll need to speak to a specialist or tradesperson to further analyse the issues and to see what can be done about them. By speaking to an independent specialist, you will then be able to find out exactly what repairs are required and how much the repairs are likely to cost.
Understanding the issues in detail and identifying the solutions can really help to put things into perspective. But, crucially, it will allow you (and your selling agent) to have informed discussions with potential buyers if they want to negotiate the sale price to take the problems highlighted by your Home Report (and the cost to fix them) into account. With this in mind, it’s obviously important to discuss the contents of your Home Report with your selling agent too.
Although nobody wants their Single Survey to highlight issues with their property, getting an independent RICS Home Report is a vital (and legal) part of the home-buying and selling process.
At Walker Fraser Steele our RICS-accredited Chartered Surveyors provide Scottish Home Reports to those buying and selling properties throughout Scotland.
If you’d like to find out more about Home Reports from Walker Fraser Steele, please click here.
Or, if you have a question or would like to request a quote for Home Report, please contact us.
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