Landmark Valuation Services has partnered with Countrywide Surveying Services and Santander Mortgages to deliver Countrywide’s new property condition report – HomeFact.
The HomeFact home condition report provides consumers with essential information about their prospective new home, including its condition both inside and out, any areas that need urgent attention, security risks and guidance on how best to maintain the property. It also links through to the HomeFact portal for further information about the location, including amenities, schools, crime rates, transport and broadband availability.
Santander Mortgages is the first lender to offer a HomeFact condition report on selected two-year and five-year fixed rate first-time buyer products. The bank is the only lender to provide a home condition report, worth over £500, for free.
Santander can instruct a HomeFact report through Landmark’s established Secure Panel Network, which processes over 1.6 million property survey and valuation instructions every year. The HomeFact instruction is then automatically directed through to a Countrywide surveyor who visits the property and completes the report using Landmark’s Q-Mobile surveying app.
Mike Holden, managing director of Landmark Valuation Services, said: “The new HomeFact report is a unique proposition in the market. We are delighted to have been able to apply our expertise in mobile surveying technology and geospatial data to support Countrywide in rapidly launching an end-to-end solution that delivers real value to consumers.”
Countrywide’s surveyors capture all site notes on Q-Mobile whilst at the property. The phrases, rating and photos they capture are then automatically mapped directly into the HomeFact report template, saving time and resources. A PDF of each HomeFact report can be previewed by the surveyor on the tablet before it is signed-off and sent to the consumer.
Paul Wareham, managing director, business to business at Countrywide Surveying Services, said: “As one of our strategic technology partners, Landmark Valuation Services has worked closely with us to ensure that HomeFact was ready to fit into a demanding launch schedule. From making it simple for Santander to instruct a HomeFact report, to delivering the tools and apps our surveyors need to easily capture, compile and sign-off a report, to developing the consumer portal. We’re delighted with the end-result.
“HomeFact is an interactive report that combines all the expertise of our surveyors with other online information sources that we’ve gathered about a property and its surrounding area. It is designed to fill a gap in the market for offering consumers an easy-to-understand report that is packed with information specific to the property being offered for sale.”
David House, head of residential valuation, Santander UK, added: “Landmark was able to deliver the HomeFact portal in a timely fashion; the service we have received has been excellent. For our customers, going into the buying process fully informed, with a clear understanding of what areas of the property need attention will make a real difference– especially when it’s your first-time.
“ Countrywide’s HomeFact condition report helps ensure that there are no nasty surprises, leaving new property owners to go and make the most of their new home.”
