How do I prepare for the Home Report survey?
How the three parts are used
Buyers read the repair categories, lenders read the valuation, and solicitors read the property questionnaire.
The single survey grades elements of the property by repair category. A category three is a serious issue and buyers treat it as a price argument; a category two is common and usually absorbed.
The property questionnaire is your own statement about council tax band, parking, alterations, factoring, services and any history of flooding. Answer it accurately — it forms part of the record a buyer relies on.
Preparing for the surveyor's visit
Give the surveyor access to everything — loft, meters, outbuildings — and have paperwork for any alterations ready on the day.
Blocked access to a loft hatch or a service cupboard is routinely recorded as an inspection limitation, which reads to a buyer as an unknown risk.
Building warrants, completion certificates, gas and electrical certificates and factor statements all help. Missing paperwork for an alteration is one of the more common reasons a sale drags in missives.
Presentation and photography
Photography sells the viewing, and the viewing sells the property — invest there before anywhere else.
Declutter to the point that each room's purpose is obvious in a single photograph. Rooms doing two jobs photograph badly and confuse buyers scanning a portal.
Natural light matters more than staging. Book photography for the brightest part of the day, clean the windows, and replace failed bulbs so the interior shots do not go orange.
Module 2 checklist
- Instruct the Home Report before any marketing begins
- Clear access to the loft, meters, boiler and any outbuildings
- Gather warrants, completion certificates and service records
- Complete the property questionnaire carefully and truthfully
- Book photography for a bright day, after decluttering
Common questions
- Can I challenge the Home Report valuation?
- You can discuss it with the surveyor and provide evidence of comparable sales, but the figure is their professional judgement and revisions are uncommon.
About Lothian Property
An independent starting point, not an estate agency
Lothian Property is an independent property information and introduction service. We are not an estate agency. We help homeowners understand their property, their options and their local market, and — where appropriate and only with your permission — introduce them to independent estate agents and other property professionals who can assist.
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