ABSTRACT
Potential sellers in England and Wales, on the assumption that they have been following the saga of whether a Home Condition Report is to be included in a Home Information Pack on a compulsory or voluntary basis, are likely to have been distinctly relieved that the latter has been the situation since 1 August 2007 and not the former. Unless desperate to sell or of an unusually reasonable and helpful nature, they will have been very unlikely to have commissioned a Home Condition Report. From their point of view the information they and their estate agent have supplied needs no further comment and therefore any report on its condition can only bring news which the seller would rather not hear, particularly if it is likely to affect the purchase price which he hopes to achieve. This view may change over time when Home Condition and Single Survey Reports become compulsory and as anecdotal evidence builds up following successful sales. Word will get around that putting all the information about a dwelling’s condition up front helps towards achieving a rapid hitch free conclusion. Three is no reason to suppose that this will not be the case in view of the success of similar schemes in other countries.
