Choosing a survey level
Can a buyer in Scotland commission their own survey as well as the Home Report?
Yes. The Home Report is the seller’s pack: a single survey and valuation, a property questionnaire and an energy report, where mygov.scot says one is required. You may still instruct your own surveyor if you want a second opinion or a closer look at something the single survey flagged. You are paying twice for a reason you should be able to name.
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?
RICS notes that purchasers can rely on a Scottish Home Report. That is different from England and Wales, where the buyer usually has no survey until they instruct one, and cannot rely on a seller’s survey just because the seller waves it. Relying on the Home Report does not mean you are forbidden to ask more. It means you already have a document a purchaser is entitled to use.
If the single survey says the loft was not inspected, or a crack needs attention, a further instruction can be narrower than a full second report. Ask a firm to quote for that scope. There is no national top-up fee. In England, do not cite the Scottish system as a reason the seller must pay for your Level 3.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What has the Home Report already covered, and what extra are you asking this firm to do?
- Which limitations in the single survey would justify another visit?
- What should a buyer in England not copy from this Scottish arrangement?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the Home Report before you instruct a second full survey.
- If you instruct more, make the scope specific.
- If you are in England or Wales, instruct your own survey. There is no Home Report coming.
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 property questionnaire count as the survey?
No. It is the seller’s answers. The single survey is the chartered surveyor’s part. Read which page you are looking at.
Can you renegotiate in Scotland because of the Home Report?
You can discuss the price before you are bound. The report does not by itself change the price. Ask your solicitor what the Scottish process allows at the stage you have reached.