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Home Information Packs are now compulsory for all properties. It is against the law to put your home on the market without a Home Information Pack (HIP).
Why have HIPs been introduced?
The government introduced HIPS’s in an attempt to speed up the home buying and selling process by providing all the necessary legal documents at the start of the process when you put your house on the market.
What does a HIP contain?
The required documents that must be included in each HIP are:
- An index
- An Energy Performance Certificate
- A sale statement (summarising the terms of the sale)
- Evidence of title
- Standard searches (eg local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search)
- If the property is leasehold a copy of the lease, information on service charges and insurances.
- For new homes a New Homes Warranty
Other authorised documents can also be included, such as guarantees and warranties or other searches to make the pack a more useful document to your Buyer’s Solicitor and to cut down on the amount of additional queries that are raised during the selling process. A Home Condition Report can also be included on a voluntary basis although we would not reccommend including this.
Why should you choose Middleton & Upsall LLP to provide your HIP
Your estate agent will be able to start marketing your property as soon as the pack has been commissioned. At Middleton & Upsall LLP we commence preparation of the pack as soon as we have received your instructions and payment and we then fax your estate agent with evidence for their records. This enables marketing to commence at the very earliest date.
You will not be dealing with a large organisation where you cannot speak to the person dealing with the preparation of the pack but with a firm where we have a small dedicated team dealing with the preparation of HIPs who can assist you with any queries that you have and give you advice at the same time regarding your sale.
HIP’s contain a large amount of complex, legal information and are being offered by many different organisations. Solicitors are best placed to prepare and interpret these packs and of course you will need to instruct a solicitor in relation to your sale in any event, so why instruct two parties to do the job when one will suffice!
We are confident that our HIP is the right solution for your next sale:
- It is guaranteed compliant with HIP legislation
- It is flexible, allowing the inclusion of additional authorised items to assist you in marketing your property
- It seamlessly links into the conveyancing process
- It is competitively priced at £299 for the basic pack.
Contact Ingrid Hindle or Alison May on 01985 214444 or email us at ihindle@mulaw.co.uk as soon as you make the decision to sell your property so that we can prepare the documentation in readiness for marketing.
The HIP Code
We comply with the HIP code which provides protection for all those who rely on the information included in the HIP. The code sets out minimum standards which have to be met.
What is an Energy Performance Certificate ?
This is a report that rates the energy efficiency of your property and gives the Buyer some idea of how much the property will cost to run. We have a number of energy assessors that we use. They are known personally to us and are not from a faceless panel. They will contact you by telephone to make an appointment. It will be helpful if you can let them see copies of any planning documents that you have in your possession and also the boiler handbook.
The report will also give recommendations as to how you might improve the energy efficiency of your property.
Do I need a Home Condition Report?
We do not advise you to spend additional funds on such a report. At present they are not recognised as sufficient to act as a mortgage valuation report which means that a Buyer obtaining a mortgage will still need to have a mortgage valuation carried out and Buyers are still reluctant to rely on a survey prepared by the Seller.
Cost and Timescale
We ask for an initial £299 on account of our cost. We do not charge anything for the preparation of the pack if you are instructing us on your sale. You are only charged for the cost of the search, energy assessment and the copy documents.
We commence preparation of the report on the date that we receive your monies on account and fax your Estate Agents with a confirmation of order so that marketing can start straight away.
How Long does the Pack Last?
You do not have to renew the HIP. If the searches go out of date after 3 months then it is the Buyer’s responsibility to renew them. If you take your property off the market but re-market within 12 months of the date of the original HIP you do not need to prepare a new HIP.
Future Proposal by the Government
The Government is proposing to introduce a requirement for Energy Performance Certificates to be produced for commercial buildings from April 2008 and on rental properties from October 2008.
To download a copy of our HIP Instruction form please click here or complete the form the “Contact us” section.
Additional Links
 www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk
www.avonsideenergy.co.uk
www.propertycodes.org.uk
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