Home Information Packs (HIPs) for Houses for Sale
New Legislation for Houses for Sale in England and Wales
HIP's have been introduced to provide house buyers with up-front information without incurring any expense, so that they can make an informed decision to purchase based on the information contained within the packs and help avoid any unpleasant surprises.
- Do I need a Home Information Pack?
- When can I start to sell my house and place my property on the market?
- What are the contents of a HIP?
- Does a HIP expire or have a shelf life?
- How long does it take to assemble a HIP?
- Can I prepare or assemble a HIP myself?
- Where can I Buy a HIP?
1. Do I need a Home Information Pack?
It is a legal requirement to have a HIP for all domestic homes that are placed on the open market for sale from in England and Wales as from 31st December 2007.
However you may not need a HIP if you meet the following exemptions;-
- Properties with 4 or more Bedrooms - if your property was placed for sale on the open market before 1st Aug 2007 and has been on the market continuously since
- Properties with 3 Bedrooms - if your property was placed for sale on the open market before 10th Sept 2007 and has been on the market continuously since
- Properties not advertised on the open market (e.g. sale to member of the family)
- Non-residential properties
- Seasonal and holiday accommodation
- Mixed sales (e.g. shop with flat)
- Right to buy and similar sales
- Sales of portfolios of properties
- Properties not being sold with completely vacant possession
- Unsafe properties and properties to be demolished
- New homes built under Part L of the Building Regulations 2006 (these will be brought in by a separate commencement order in due course)
2. When can I start to sell my house and place my property on the market?
From the 6th of April 2009 will see the removal of the First Day Marketing Exemption, this means you can no longer market a property until certain document from a HIP are in place. It will become extremely important to know exactly when you can begin to market your property and to make it simple when you purchase a HIP via 3up2down.com you will be sent a very specific email entitled "HIP is Compliant for the Purposes of Marketing" this confirms that all of the necessary documents required are in order for you to begin marketing your property.
As the property owner you are responsible for ensuring that you have the required documents in place before the property is placed on the open market for sale, failure to comply with the Home information Pack Regulations 2006 can result in a fine.
3. What are the contents of a HIP?
The Pack must contain the following
- Home Information Pack Index
- An Energy Performance Certificate, rating the property on a scale of A to G and an Energy graph
- Sale Statement
- Standard Searches
- Evidence of title
- Additional information for Leasehold etc. sales where appropriate
- Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ)
Additional documents which can be included are:
- Home Condition Report, similar to a survey
- Legal Summary
- Guarantees and warranties
- Other searches
- Home use/contents forms
4. Does a Hip expire or have a shelf life?
Hips do not have a expiry date however if your property has been on the market for some time (more than 6 months), the buyers solicitor or mortgage lender may require you to renew some of your local searches.
5. How long does it take to assemble a HIP?
Most pack providers can provide a pack within 5-10 days.
6. Can I prepare or assemble a HIP myself?
For a novice it will take a quite bit of work, you will need to look at the housing act and regulations to ensure your pack meets legal requirements. To produce an energy report will need pay a professional to produce your report, and to obtain local searches you can go to your local authority website and order them direct. We would recommend that you use a professional to assemble you home pack to save time and ensure it is compliant with the hip regulations.
7. Where can I buy a HIP?
Most estate agents will provide HIPs on the condition that you use their agency
service but if you later wish to find a new agent, you may need to buy a
new HIP
as they may own it an not you!
HIPs from 3up2down will be owned by you so you have total control and flexibility
on how you market your property they are also compliant with the HIP
Code.
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Further Information
- Sellers Guide - Selling your House Privately
- Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) - Reduce your energy costs
- Sell your House Privately for FREE
- Advertising on Fish4 - Advertise to over 1 million property seekers a month
- 3up2down For Sale Signs - For Sale Boards
- Cashback Mortgages - Get up to 50% of our Commission
