When purchasing a property there’s certainly a lot to think about and we don’t just mean what colour you’re going to paint the walls, which sofa you will need and where you’re going to put that painting that you’re so proud of.

Before you get the keys, there’s some due diligence you’ll want to do to assess the condition of the property and highlight any potential issues that you will need to address. This assessment generally comes in the form of a homebuyer report and will outline the condition of key areas to help inform your purchasing decisions.

In essence, a homebuyer report is completed by a surveyor and will highlight any problems or defects that require attention. The detailed report covers the inside and outside of the property, the services and site that the property is on.

Homebuyer reports are generally suitable for properties under 100 years old and if the property is older than this, a building survey would be more suitable.

Homebuyer reports are not mandatory, however we do recommend that one is completed for every property purchase as they will help you make an informed judgement on whether to proceed with the purchase, whether the price is fair and any important works needing to be carried out after completion.

The homebuyer report will give a score of four different levels, ranging from areas not inspected to defects in need of urgent or serious repair. It’s important to remember that a homebuyer report does not provide a valuation. A valuation report will be completed by a surveyor as part of your mortgage application.

A Homebuyer report will generally be broken down into the following ten key sections:

1. Introduction to the report
2. About the inspection
3. Overall opinion and summary of the condition ratings
4. About the property (covering key details such as the type, date of build, number of rooms, mains services, and the local environment)
   
5. Outside the property (covering key external features such as the chimney, extension, main walls, doors and windows)
   
6. Inside the property (key areas such as ceilings, walls, floors, fireplaces, and bathroom fittings)
   
7. Services (for example, electricity, gas, water, heating, water heating and drainage)
   
8. Grounds (including shared areas for flats)
9. Issues for legal advisors (for example, whether there’s a warranty covering replacement windows)
10. Risks (defects and issues that cause a risk to the building, grounds or people. If already been highlighted in the condition ratings, this will give a general overview)

Your homebuyer report should be completed by a reputable, experienced property surveyor. You will want to ensure the surveyor you instruct is RICS registered as RICS is the regulatory body for surveyors in the UK and will mean your survey is completed to the required standards.

Got questions about purchasing a property and need to arrange your mortgage? Reach out to us on 01322 553282 or contact our team online.