Seller-side surveys
Who writes the property questionnaire in a Home Report, and why is that not the surveyor’s inspection?
The seller provides the questionnaire. mygov.scot says it covers 16 categories, including past fire, storm or asbestos, alterations, specialist works or guarantees, and notices. The single survey is the chartered surveyor’s visual inspection and valuation. A seller’s “no” on asbestos is not a sample, and a seller’s “yes” on a guarantee is not the surveyor testing that guarantee.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Read them against each other. If the questionnaire says the roof was renewed and the single survey says the covering looks older, ask for the invoice. If the survey says a loft was not inspected and the questionnaire is silent, you still have an uninspected loft. RICS’s point that a purchaser can rely on the Home Report does not fill a blank box.
Do not ask the surveyor to rewrite the seller’s answers after the visit. If an answer is wrong, that is a solicitor’s enquiry. There is no RICS price for a new questionnaire. In England there is no equivalent form inside a Level 2. Do not demand one.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which questionnaire answers conflict with what you saw?
- Which limits in your inspection are not mentioned in the questionnaire?
- Are you treating the seller’s asbestos answer as a survey? You should not.
What are the typical next steps?
- List the conflicts for your solicitor.
- Ask for guarantees the questionnaire mentions, and read the exclusions.
- Do not treat a blank category as a clear survey.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does the questionnaire include an EPC?
No. The energy report is the third part. The questionnaire is the seller’s categories.
Can the seller change an answer after you rely on it?
They should correct a wrong answer. Your solicitor says how. A quiet edit is not a new survey.