Posts Tagged ‘RICS’

Home Reports still a requirement in Scotland

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Latest News From RICS: Home Reports in Scotland are unaffected by the abolition of Home Information Packs (HIPs) in England and Wales.

As the new Government announces plans to scrap the Home Information Pack (HIP) in England and Wales, some sellers in Scotland are left confused as to what is happening North of the border.

If you’re selling in Scotland, then you will still require a Home Report, not a HIP. There has been no change to the successful Scottish system.

Home Reports and HIPs are different as the HIP does not include a valuation or surveyor’s report.   The legislation for Home Reports was enacted by the Scottish Government and has made buying and selling homes in Scotland fairer and clearer than ever. The government are now being urged to consider adopting the Scottish Home Report in England and Wales.

Home Reports will remain in Scotland.

“Long-standing proposals from the Tories to scrap HIPs (Home Information Packs) for England and Wales (but retaining EPCs) will go ahead.  RICS has called for the reform of HIPs for some time.

The Home Report in Scotland will of course be unaffected – a product which RICS Scotland believes is of real benefit to potential buyers and fully supports.”

Neil Freshwater – RICS Scotland – Policy and Press

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Posted in Scottish News | No Comments »

Can you trust your estate agent?

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Some estate agents are routinely getting away with giving incorrect information as there is no real force to ensure they are behaving competently and honestly. Estate agents should treat you friendly and professionally. We are astounded by the arrogance and rudeness of some agents.

Whilst there are some very good, thorough and professional estate agents, there are still too many who are only interested in making their commission. All too often we have had clients who have received incorrect information about Home Reports. Is your estate agent’s preferred Home Report provider really offering something different? The contents of a Home Report are set by the Scottish Government and you can expect a competent service by any RICS Registered Surveyor.

Remember that estate agents are not Chartered Surveyors and require to pass your business onto a surveying firm in every case. Estate Agents should have an obligation to make sellers aware that it is not legally necessary to use their preferred surveyor when selling their home.

Bad Advice

To give a recent example, Rollo Davidson McFarlane refused to market two of our clients’ properties without a Mortgage Valuation Report – even though they had a full Home Report. We often discover that sellers are being incorrectly told that a Mortgage Valuation Report should be included in a Home Report. A Mortgage Valuation Report is not a required document within the Home Report.

How much extra are you being charged for a Mortgage Valuation Report which is considered useless by lenders after 2-3 weeks? I have heard of estate agents who push sellers to have a Mortgage Valuation Report updated every three weeks – at your cost and their financial gain!

Any seller deserves to at least expect honest advice from their agent. Don’t just take our word for it – it is advisable to seek information from independent sources such as the Scottish Government or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

If you have a complaint about your estate agent please leave a comment.

For more information on Home Reports visit:
RICS – Home Report Guide
Scottish Government – The Home Report Documents

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Posted in Estate Agents | No Comments »

“You wouldn’t employ a decorator to fit your boiler so why go to a third party to arrange your Home Report.”

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

Keep your eyes peeled for RICS Scotland new campaign and recently launched website www.dontgoroundthehouses.com. The campaign addresses concerns about variations in Home Report prices and the advice given by solicitors and estates agents. It has been highlighted that sellers may not be aware that they can instruct their own Home Report from a surveyor. Sellers who get a Home Report arranged through their solicitor or estate agent are sometimes charged as much as 50% more in commission.

Graeme Hartley, Director of RICS Scotland said:

“We launched this campaign because we were concerned about reports from our members telling us that some buyers were paying over the odds for their Home Report with the estate agent or law firm pocketing the difference.

You wouldn’t employ a decorator to fit your boiler so why go to a third party to arrange your Home Report. A surveyor who is a member of RICS can provide a Home Report at the best possible price. Our new website spells out all the advice and information needed and makes it as simple as possible for clients.”

In Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow you can expect to see posters supporting the campaign as well as in Scottish newspapers, magazines and property-related websites. It’s about time estate agent myths were dispelled!

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Posted in Home Reports | 2 Comments »