 Uptake of the scheme has been low |
A pilot scheme giving house sellers the option of commissioning a single survey of their property has been used by just 73 people in the space of six months. The Scottish Executive initiative is being trialled in four cities.
But solicitors warn that a voluntary scheme will not work and argue that legislation may be needed to compel people to adopt the new system.
The Scottish Executive said it would put the powers in place to ensure that the system changes.
The forthcoming housing bill will contain powers to introduce a mandatory system.
If the executive uses those powers, it would ensure that house buyers have access to a single survey system.
Potential buyers
The pilot scheme still has six months to run in parts of Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
People selling a home in the chosen areas have the option of commissioning a comprehensive survey which is made available to all potential buyers.
The cost of the report is then reimbursed by the successful purchaser.
Under the existing system each interested party has to commission their own survey, which means that unsuccessful househunters can quickly rack up huge bills.
The single survey scheme was introduced to avoid multiple surveys on a property.
It would also give owners the chance to fix problems before the for sale sign goes up, and aims to discourage artificially low asking prices as the valuation will be known beforehand.
However, with no shortage of buyers there has been little incentive for the seller to pay several hundred pounds for a detailed report.
Most of the 73 single surveys carried out so far were in Glasgow, with just one in Edinburgh, five in Inverness and three in Dundee.
Professor Stewart Brymer, a senior partner in a Dundee law firm, speaks on the issue for the Law Society of Scotland.
Present format
He said: "I think the change to a single survey, in principal, is quite sound.
"In future we will have something akin to the single survey. Whether it will be the single survey in its present format, I don't know."
He said he was not a great believer in legislation for legislation's sake.
 Under the current system each potential buyer orders a survey |
"However, it may be that if the single survey or some other scheme like it is to be introduced in Scotland that an element of compulsion will be the only way for it to work.
"I think the pilot demonstrates that, given that the voluntary uptake is low and will continue to be low for the remainder of the pilot," he said.
Dundee surveyor John Bennett said one of the drawbacks for home owners was that the survey would expose their house to the world - warts and all.
He said it was a good concept, but that the scheme appeared to have been "rushed".
That claim was rejected by the executive, which said the proposals had been drawn up over several years.
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It may be... that an element of compulsion will be the only way for it to work
