What Is a Home Report in Scotland?
A Home Report is a pack of three documents that, by law, almost every seller in Scotland must provide before marketing their home. It gives buyers an independent survey, a valuation, an energy rating and detailed information about the property — all paid for by the seller and ready before the first viewing. Introduced on 1 December 2008 under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, it is unique to Scotland and is one of the first things any Scottish seller needs to organise. This guide explains exactly what a Home Report contains, what it costs in 2026, how long it stays valid, when you are exempt, and how it works if you sell at auction.
Key takeaways
- A Home Report has three parts: a Single Survey, an Energy Report (EPC) and a Property Questionnaire.
- The seller must pay for it and have it ready before the property is marketed.
- It typically costs £350–£600, with Scottish sellers averaging around £433 including VAT.
- Information should be no more than 12 weeks old when the home first goes on the market; a refresh costs roughly £50–£100.
- New builds, right-to-buy sales, portfolio sales and properties sold at auction are exempt.
What is a Home Report?
A Home Report is a single pack the seller commissions and pays for, then makes available to any genuine prospective buyer. Its purpose is to give buyers reliable, upfront information about a property's condition and value before they make an offer — reducing surprises later in the process. The seller, or their solicitor or estate agent, must be able to provide it within nine days of a buyer requesting it.
It applies to the sale of most residential properties in Scotland. According to the Scottish Government, the seller is legally responsible for having the Home Report prepared before the home goes on the market.
What's inside a Home Report? The three parts
Every Home Report is made up of three distinct documents, each serving a different purpose:
1. The Single Survey
A RICS-registered chartered surveyor inspects the property inside and out, assesses its condition and flags any defects or repairs. Each element is given a condition rating from 1 (no immediate action needed) to 3 (urgent repair or further investigation required). Crucially, the Single Survey also includes a valuation — the surveyor's professional opinion of what the home is worth, which lenders use when deciding how much to lend. It also contains an accessibility audit for people with particular needs.
2. The Energy Report
The Energy Report contains the property's Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It rates the home's energy efficiency from A (most efficient) to G, estimates typical running costs for heating, lighting and hot water, rates its environmental impact in terms of carbon emissions, and suggests ways to improve efficiency and cut bills.
3. The Property Questionnaire
This part is completed by the seller, not the surveyor. It covers around 16 categories of practical information: council tax band, factoring or shared-maintenance arrangements, parking, alterations and any guarantees, history of flooding or damp, and whether there have been any disputes with neighbours or known issues affecting the property. Because the seller signs it, honesty matters — inaccurate answers can lead to problems later in the sale.
How much does a Home Report cost in 2026?
The seller pays for the Home Report, and it is one of the first costs of selling in Scotland. In 2026 the typical price is £350 to £600, with Scottish sellers spending around £433 on average including VAT, according to industry cost data. For an average city flat or house you should budget roughly £400–£550.
The exact fee depends on the property's value and size, its location, its age and complexity, and the surveyor you choose. Larger, higher-value or unusual properties cost more to assess because they take longer to inspect. It is worth getting two or three quotes, as prices vary between surveyors for the same job.
How long is a Home Report valid?
There is a common misconception that a Home Report 'expires' after 12 weeks. In practice, the rule is that the information must be no more than 12 weeks old when the property first goes on the market. Once it is on sale, there is no fixed legal expiry date — the same report can carry through a longer marketing period.
That said, if a home has been on the market for around three months or more, buyers and especially their mortgage lenders may ask for the report to be updated to confirm the condition and valuation still hold. Surveyors offer a refresh service for roughly £50–£100, confirming nothing material has changed without a full re-inspection. If significant time passes or the market moves, a fresh valuation may be needed.
How long does it take to get a Home Report?
Getting a Home Report is usually quick. Once you instruct a surveyor, the inspection itself takes a couple of hours, and the completed pack is typically delivered within a few working days — often 3 to 5. Because it must be ready before marketing, sensible sellers arrange it early, alongside instructing a solicitor and gathering the rest of their selling paperwork.
When is a Home Report not required?
Not every sale needs a Home Report. The main exemptions are:
- New-build and newly converted homes being sold for the first time.
- Right-to-buy sales to sitting tenants, and other properties that are not openly marketed.
- Portfolio or multiple-property sales, where several homes are sold together as a single (commercial-style) transaction.
- Properties sold at auction, which are exempt from the legal requirement.
- Holiday or seasonal lets, and certain mixed land-and-property or private family sales that are not marketed.
These exemptions are summarised by surveyors such as Allied Surveyors Scotland. If you are unsure whether your sale qualifies, check with your solicitor before marketing.
Home Reports and selling at auction
Because selling at auction is one of the recognised exemptions, you are not legally obliged to commission a Home Report to sell this way. In practice, many auction sellers still choose to provide one — a Single Survey and valuation give bidders confidence and can drive stronger competition on the day. But if your property is unmortgageable, in poor condition, or you simply want to avoid the upfront survey cost, auction lets you sell without one.
Julie McAndrews, founder of Scotland Property Auction, notes that the exemption is genuinely useful for executors, landlords exiting a portfolio, and owners of properties that would struggle to pass a standard survey — situations where a full open-market Home Report adds cost and delay without changing the outcome.
What a Home Report means if you're buying
For buyers, the Home Report is a free, independent starting point: you can read the condition ratings, see the surveyor's valuation, and check the energy rating and Property Questionnaire before spending anything on your own survey or solicitor. Remember the valuation is the lender's reference point — if you offer well above it, you may need to cover the gap yourself, which is a common reason mortgage-dependent sales stall.
Whether you are buying or selling, the Home Report is designed to put solid information on the table early. If you are selling and want to skip the upfront cost and the uncertainty of a long open-market campaign, get a free 60-second valuation and we'll explain whether auction is the right route for your property.
Founder & Director of Scotland Property Auction. Julie has spent over a decade helping Scottish homeowners, landlords and executors sell property quickly at auction — covering Home Reports, missives, repossession and the modern method of auction.
More about Julie →✔ Last reviewed June 2026 by Julie McAndrews. We keep our guides current with Scottish property law and market conditions.