Sale questionnaire to be tested

A questionnaire to help the housebuying and selling process by providing more information to potential buyers is to be tested in parts of Scotland.

Developed jointly by the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Consumer Council, the National Association of Estate Agents, and Communities Scotland for the Executive, the property sale questionnaire (PSQ) will also provide surveyors with more information before they visit the property to carry out a survey.

Thirty-five solicitors and estate agents have agreed to participate in the pilot, in areas including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Fife, Inverness, Galashiels, Perth, Oban and Arran. Over a period of 10-12 weeks the questionnaire will be tested on “live” residential property transactions of different types and values in urban and rural markets. A research company will fully evaluate the test, with the results being available early in 2007.

Early alert

The PSQ is intended to be completed by the seller, with advice and assistance from their solicitor or estate agent. It is divided into two sections, each with several subheads.

Section A covers council tax band; parking; central heating (and maintenance contract); utility services and supplier details; shared maintenance of common parts; and details of factors or managing agents.

Dealt with in section B are alterations, additions and extensions; specialist treatment for rot etc; local authority notices; services accessed via others’ property (or by others via the sale property); other shared maintenance costs (e.g. private road, grass cutting of open areas); other guarantees (e.g. NHBC, roofing work, central heating); boundary changes in last 10 years; factor’s annual charges; and any residents’ association and its charges.

The PSQ will alert the selling solicitor at an early stage of the need to obtain any necessary documentation and consents that might be required by the buyer’s solicitor during the conveyancing process. The test will assess the effectiveness of the PSQ in making information available and smoothing the conveyancing process.

The inclusion of the PSQ is not expected to add any extra complexity to the buying and selling process. Many selling agents already ask sellers to complete a questionnaire, although at present they are not usually shared with the buyer. Under the new scheme a copy of the completed PSQ will be provided to potential purchasers, surveyors, and purchasing solicitors.

Improvements supported

Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm said the Executive was committed to improving the information available for people involved in making decisions about buying and selling a home.

“It is proposed that the PSQ will be included in an information pack and the test will greatly assist in its delivery. We welcome the support of the professionals involved and will fully analyse the results of the questionnaire’s use in the market.”

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents, said: “We have always supported improvements to the current system, and the new property information pack as proposed in Scotland meets the consumer’s needs for more information, without onerous levels of documentation.”

John MacKinnon, Vice President of Law Society of Scotland said: “The Society fully endorses the PSQ initiative and believes it will improve the house buying and selling system in Scotland.”

Once the seller’s survey is introduced under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, the PSQ will form part of an information pack which will also contain a copy of the survey.

    (First reported on  www.journalonline.co.uk)