Home Condition Report. Terms of Engagement

HOME CONDITION REPORT - TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT

1. Introduction

The Home Condition Report is a report on the condition of the property at the time of inspection.

It will been prepared by a registered Home Inspector in accordance with the Terms of Engagement, which are published within the body of the report (and set out below) as Appendix A. You are strongly advised to read these terms of engagement so that you can understand exactly what the Home Inspector will do.

2. What the report tells you:

The report tells you about the construction and condition of the property on the date when it was inspected. It tells you whether and where further enquiries are needed. It tells you about matters that are considered significant or in need of urgent attention. It also tells you about matters which require further investigation to prevent damage to the fabric of the building or which are a threat to personal safety. The property is broken down into separate elements, and each element has been given a condition rating X, NI, 1, 2 or 3. The condition ratings are applied as follows:-

CONDITION RATING DEFINITION

X Not Present at property
NI Not Inspected
1 No repair is presently required. Normal maintenance must be undertaken.
2 Repairs are required but the Home Inspector does not consider these to be either serious or urgent.
3 Defects of a serious nature or defects requiring urgent repair.
It tells you about the energy efficiency of the property and gives appropriate recommendations to tell you how the energy efficiency might be improved.

3. What this report does not tell you:

The Report does not include a valuation of the property. It does not tell you about any minor matters that would not ordinarily have any effect on a buyer's decision to purchase. This report does not warn you about any Health and Safety Risks to occupiers or visitors to the property except where conditions affecting Health and Safety are such that repairs or building work are required.

4. What you should do in the event of a query or complaint:

Should you have any query or complaint about this Home Condition Report or the Home Inspector, please follow the published complaints procedure. This can be obtained on request from the Home Inspector who undertook the inspection

APPENDIX A: THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ENGAGEMENT OF A HOME INSPECTOR

1. Introduction:

This Home Condition Report is a report on the condition of the property at the time of inspection. It is in a standard format and has been prepared by a qualified Home Inspector or a Chartered Surveyor or similar person who is so registered. No responsibilities can be accepted for the consequences should the readers fail to act upon specific reasonable advice contained in this Report.

2. Terms of Engagement:

The report has been commissioned on the basis of these Terms of Engagement. This report has been commissioned by, or on behalf of, the seller of the property, and describes the condition of the property on the date of inspection. The Home Inspector has a duty to provide an impartial opinion that can be used and relied upon by a prospective buyer and the seller. This report may also be relied upon by the mortgage lender in so far as they wish to do so. It is agreed by the parties that the provisions of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 will apply.

This Home Condition Report will be carried out in accordance with the ‘Home Inspectors Inspection and Reporting Requirements – Version 3 February 2005’. These Terms of Engagement may not be amended by you or the Home Inspector. Any services the Home Inspector may agree to provide in addition to preparing this Home Condition Report must be by another contract. The terms of payment and fees payable for the Home Condition Report are as separately agreed between the Home Inspector and the Seller (or on the Seller’s behalf). Those parts of the property that have been inspected and those parts where an inspection has not taken place are set out below and form part of these terms.

3. What this report tells you:

This report tells you about the construction and condition of the property on the date when it was inspected, being the date shown at the top of each page. It also tells you whether and where further enquiries are needed. It tells you about matters that are considered significant or in need of urgent attention. It also tells you about matters which require further investigation to prevent damage to the fabric of the building or which are a threat to personal safety. It tells you about the energy efficiency of the property and gives appropriate recommendations to tell you how the energy efficiency might be improved.

4. What this report does not tell you:

The Report will not include any valuation of the property. Such an additional service may be arranged separately with your Home Inspector if he/she provides Valuations under a separate agreement for which he/she will normally require payment of an additional fee. It does not tell you about any minor matters that would not ordinarily have any effect on a buyer's decision to purchase. This report does not warn you about any Health and Safety Risks to occupiers or visitors to the property except where conditions affecting Health and Safety are such that repairs or building work are required.

5. What was inspected:

Externally, all reasonably accessible parts of the property were inspected from within its grounds and adjoining public and communal areas, from ground level with the help of binoculars. To assist in inspecting any elements of the property, such as roofs and chimneys, which cannot be accessed from ground level, the Home Inspector used a ladder where the surface was no more than 3 metres from ground level and where it was safe and practical to do so

Internally: The Home Inspector gained access to as many parts of the property as was safe and practical. Internal fixed floor coverings were not lifted and heavy items of furniture were not moved. Cupboards were not emptied where it would be unreasonable for the Home Inspector to do so. To assist the inspection, a moisture detecting meter was used in selected locations. In the event that some part of the property was inaccessible, which would normally have been inspected, this is mentioned within the report.

Services: The Home Inspector carried out a visual inspection of those parts of the services (electrics, gas, water, drainage), which can be generally seen on a day-to-day basis. The taps have been turned on, and drainage inspection chambers have been opened where they could be found and lifted safely by one person.

Flats: The interior of the flat was inspected as described above. The roof space was only inspected where it had direct access from within the flat. The common parts that lead to and from the flat and the exterior of that part of the building containing the flat were inspected to identify if there are any urgent or significant defects, for which the cost of repair is likely to be shared by the flat owner and others.

Grounds: The Home Inspector walked round those parts of the grounds where it was safe to do so, but has only reported on matters of an urgent or significant nature.

6. What Was Not Inspected:

The Home Inspector did not carry out tests of services, or look at those parts of the property that are covered, unexposed and inaccessible. In particular the following were not inspected:

Exterior: The parts of the property that can only be seen by entering somebody else's private grounds or property. Flat roofs that cannot be reached, other than from ground level with a 3 metre ladder. (The Home Inspector did not walk on flat roofs). Exposure works were not carried out to the foundations and parts of the property covered by the ground.

Interior: Areas that are behind secured trap doors, behind furniture or filled cupboards.

Floor surfaces and under floor areas that were beneath fitted carpets and other fixed floor coverings.

Roof voids, where there is no access or where the access is above 3 metres from the immediate floor level below, or where it would be unsafe. Insulation and other material in the roof space was not lifted or moved. The inside of chimneys, boiler and other flues.

Services: Where services were turned off at the time of the inspection and so could not be visually observed in operation by the Home Inspector, this is stated in Section F.No contractors’ tests on services were carried out and the Home Inspector does not report on compliance with Regulations relating to such services to the property.

Drainage inspection covers were not lifted where they were heavy, screwed down or otherwise sealed in. Any services in categories not listed in Section F were not inspected at all.

Flats: Roof spaces that are not accessible from within the flat. Grounds Leisure facilities including swimming pools, tennis courts together with temporary outbuildings such as timber sheds, all of which are expressly excluded from the scope of this report.

Contamination: The Home Inspector did not test for the presence of harmful substances within the buildings or in the grounds but where in the course of inspection signs of contamination were seen that require testing or further investigation, then this is mentioned.

Planning The Home Inspector did not carry out any search of registers about planning, building regulation approvals and other statutory information held by local and other public authorities about the property. Where it is evident during inspection that there have been alterations or additions to the property for which statutory permissions or consents might have been required this is noted in Section C1 of the report.

Note: The Home Inspector may recommend further investigation where a suspicion about defects is raised within a part of the property that has not been inspected.

7. Condition Ratings:

The Home Inspector has prepared this report in a standard format which includes condition ratings for various parts. Such parts will be rated as follows:

CONDITION RATING DEFINITION

8. What you should do in the event of a query or complaint: