Home Information Packs

(Home Sellers)

 

 
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Do you need a hip ?

 

 First  decide if you require a Home Information Pack  below a list of  exceptions

  1. Residential Premises sold without vacant possession.
    For example sold with a sitting tenant. 
  2. Dual use of a dwelling house.
    Property  used for both residential and non-residential purposes
  3. Mixed non-residential and residential property.
    Property sold with one or more non-residential premises, or the house is secondary to the non-residential premises
  4. Seasonal and holiday accommodation.
    Only if occupation is for less than 11 months out of 12, or property is only used for holiday accommodation.
  5. Portfolios of property.
    This applies when the seller does not intend to accept an offer for just one of their properties
  6. Unsafe property.
    Unoccupied and its condition poses a serious risk to visitors and is  unsuitable for occupation.
  7. Property due to be demolished.
    With all the relevant planning permissions in place.
  8. Property with land over 5 hectares.
     used primarily for agricultural purposes.
  9. With Leases of less than 21 years

 

From 6 April 2009

Changes to the Home Information Pack 

 
  1. The Pack will include a Property Information Questionnaire as a mandatory document.
  2. The Home Information Pack will need to be available from the first day your property is put on the market and all the required documents have been requested and paid for. The HIP has to be available with the following documents as a minimum

  • An Index listing the contents of the HIP and noting any required documents that are missing

  • A Property Information questionnaire (PIQ)

  • An Energy Performance certificate (EPC) or Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA) for new homes marketed before completion

  • For new homes only, a Sustainable Certificate, Interim Sustainability Certificate or nil-rated certificate as required under the Code for Sustainable Homes

  • A Sale Statement summarising the terms of sale

  • Evidence of title.

This can usually be put together in 2 to 3 days

If the following documents are unavailable when marketing begins they have to be included as soon as possible and within 28 days from the first point of marketing.

  • Standard Searches

  • A Copy of the Lease (where applicable)

  • Documents showing proof of title (unregistered properties only)

Optional items

Some documents in the Home Information Pack are optional. These include:
  • Home Condition Report
  • Legal summary
  • Home contents forms
  • Guarantees for work carried out on the property eg, Cavity Wall Insulation, Damp Proofing Etc.
  • Additional information for leasehold and commonhold sales, where appropriate.

 

How up to date do documents need to be ?

The age limits on documents only apply when the property is first put on the market. Copies of Land registry documents and the required searches should be on more than three months old at this point and the EPC no more than three years old.

The responsible person is not legally required to update the Pack once marketing has started, except when a further version of a document that is already in the pack is created or obtained eg and EPC should replace the PEA  if a new home is still on the market when construction is completed.

Where a seller decides to take their property off the market, they can return to the market with the same HIP so long as marketing restarts within 12 months of the first point of marketing.

Sellers changing Estate Agents

Where a seller already has a Pack and decides to change their agents, there is no requirement for the seller to replace the Pack or refresh the documents within it.

How long does the Hip last ?

As long as the property is on the market the Home Information Pack is valid

Where a seller decides to take their property off the market, they can return to the market with the same HIP so long as marketing restarts within 12 months of the first point of marketing.

After 12 months it must remain on the market continuously however it can come off the market if under offer but must go back on the market within 28 days if it falls through.
 

Our Home Information Pack from HIPIDEA

The Institute of Domestic Energy Assessors (IDEA) produce its own Hip which is exclusively available through 1300 fully accredited members across the country.  The pack is produced in partnership with hiphomes, who were chosen from a vast selection of pack providers for their value for money, speed of production and accuracy.

HIPIDEA will check each order to ensure it meets the HIP compliance requirements. This ensures that exempt properties are not entered on to the system, saving your clients money

The average time it takes to receive your Home Information Pack is between 7 and 10 working days, depending on how quickly the searches come back. The pack is supplied as an electronic PDF file which can be emailed direct to the selling agent, solicitor or home owner. A printed copy can also be supplied at no extra charge if required. Our preference is the PDF version as this cuts down on the amount of paper required.

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