A Home Condition Report (HCR)
This is a report on the condition of your property.   It is in a standard format and has been prepared by a Home Inspector licensed under the Home Inspectors Certification Scheme (please refer to the report appendix for more details about the licensing of Home Inspectors). The Home Inspector has a duty to provide an opinion about the condition of the property that can be used and relied upon by prospective buyers, the seller and the buyer’s mortgage lender.

TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT
The report has been commissioned on the basis of these Terms of Engagement by, or on behalf of, the seller of the property, and describes the condition of the property on the date of inspection. Those parts of the property that have been inspected and those parts where an inspection has not taken place are set out in the appendix to the report and form part of these terms.
Neither you nor the Home Inspector can amend these Terms of Engagement. Any services the Home Inspector may agree to provide in addition to preparing this Home Condition Report must be set out in a separate, written contract.

WHAT THIS REPORT TELLS YOU
This report tells you about the construction and condition of the property on the date when it was inspected which is shown in the report. It also tells you whether and where further enquiries are needed. It tells you about matters that are considered serious or in need of urgent attention. It also tells you about matters that require further investigation to prevent damage to the fabric of the building.

WHAT THIS REPORT DOES NOT TELL YOU
This report does not tell you the value of the property. You should commission independent advice if you require a valuation.  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 the risks are such that repairs or building works are required.

WHAT IS INSPECTED
The main building and all permanent outbuildings were inspected externally and internally and an inspection was made of the visible parts of the services. Full details about the access required are detailed below. These details form part of the Terms of Engagement and should be read carefully.
Each part of the structure of the main building is given a Condition Rating, to make the report easy to follow.  The Condition Ratings are:
Not Inspected = 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.
Complaints
Should you have any complaint about this Home Condition Report or the Home Inspector who prepared it, please follow the steps set out in the Appendix, to be found at the back of the report.
Access
The Home Inspector will require access to the following areas:

• Externally – the entire perimeter of the property, grounds, garages and outbuildings.
• Internally – all rooms including (but not limited to) basements/cellars and roof-spaces/lofts, Central Heating Boiler and Controls, other forms of heating, Gas/Electricity Meters, Hot Water Cylinder and fittings.

Please note, although reasonable skill and care will be taken during the energy assessment, we will not be responsible for any damage caused which is due to the normal operation of any fittings necessary to conduct the inspection. If there are any defective fittings please let us know in advance.

The Inspector is required to make comprehensive site notes during the visit. These are required in case of any future queries concerning the report. Site notes will include a small number of photographs of particular elements.
To facilitate access on the day of the visit, please ensure that all pets are secured and any internal doors are unlocked. Please also open any loft hatch and extend the loft ladder if available.

In the event that the householder is not present at the property during the Inspector’s visit, the householder must ensure that a responsible person over the age of 16 is at the property during the inspection. However if the property is empty the Inspector will abide by any access/key arrangements and will take all reasonable care to secure the property both during and after the visit but cannot be held responsible for any loss or omission that may occur as a result.