The Scottish process
Home Reports in Edinburgh
The Home Report is commissioned and paid for by the seller before a property can be marketed in Scotland. It contains three parts: the single survey with a valuation, the energy report, and the property questionnaire you complete yourself. Buyers rely on it heavily, and the valuation anchors your asking strategy.
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The three parts
The single survey is a chartered surveyor's assessment of condition and a market valuation, with repair categories from 1 to 3. The energy report gives the EPC rating and recommendations. The property questionnaire is completed by you and covers council tax band, alterations, factoring, parking, flooding history and notices.
- Single survey — condition, repair categories and market valuation
- Energy report — EPC rating and improvement recommendations
- Property questionnaire — completed by the seller, relied on by buyers
Who pays and when
The seller commissions and pays for the Home Report, and it must be available before the property is advertised. Prospective buyers are entitled to request a copy.
How the valuation shapes your asking strategy
Buyers' lenders generally lend against the single survey valuation. Pitch offers over well below it and you invite competition; pitch far above it and you ask buyers to fund the difference from savings.
This is why the Home Report should be in hand before the pricing conversation is finalised, not afterwards.
Repair categories and what they cost you
A category 3 repair signals urgent work and will affect buyer confidence and, in some cases, lending. Whether to fix it before marketing or price it in depends on the cost and the likely effect on the buyer pool — worth a conversation with your agent and solicitor before you decide.
Fill in the property questionnaire carefully
It is the one part you write. Errors here are found during conveyancing and can cost a sale at the point where you have least leverage. Take your time with the questions on alterations, factoring and notices.
Common questions
- How much does a Home Report cost in Edinburgh?
- It varies with the size and value of the property and the surveyor instructed. Get two or three quotes from chartered firms active in Edinburgh; the cheapest is not automatically the best value if the report is slow to arrive.
- Do I need a Home Report to sell privately?
- Yes. The requirement attaches to marketing residential property on the open market, not to using an estate agent.
- Can a buyer negotiate on the Home Report findings?
- They can and often do, particularly where category 3 repairs are recorded. Knowing what is in the report before you go to market means the conversation is not a surprise.
Getting ready to market?
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Sources
The Scottish process
Selling because something changed?
These guides explain what usually happens in Scotland when a move is prompted by a change in circumstances. They are general information, not advice about your position.
Selling before buying another home
Sequencing a sale and a purchase in Scotland, and what to do if a chain goes wrong.
Relocating for work
Coordinating a Scottish sale with a start date, and what to do if the dates do not line up.
Bereavement or inherited property
Confirmation, executor powers, empty-property costs and what usually happens before a sale.
Published 2026-08-17 · Last reviewed 2026-08-17. General information about selling property in Scotland, not legal, tax or financial advice. Editorial policy.