What is a Home Information Pack (HIP)?
A Home Information Pack is a set of documents, provided by a seller, which will
give a potential buyer key information about the property for sale.
In the past, once a sale had been agreed, solicitors were
instructed and they gathered the information needed to agree the contract and
complete a sale.
Today, Home Information Packs provide key information at the very start
of the home buying process, making transactions more efficient and less likely
to fall through between offer and exchange.
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What does a HIP contain?
A HIP must contain the following official documents:
• An Index of contents
• A Proprty Information Questionnaire (to be completed by the owner of the
property)
• An Energy Performance Certificate
• A sale statement (summarising terms of sale)
• Evidence of title
• Local Authority search
• Drainage and water enquiry
• A copy of the lease (for leasehold properties)
• A copy of the commonhold community statement (for commonhold properties)
Some documents in the Home Information Pack are optional, these include:
• Home Condition Report (an Energy Performance Certificate is included in the
Home Condition Report)
• Home use/contents forms
• Additional searches where appropriate - for example, coal mining or 'rights of
way'
• Guarantees and warranties for work already carried out on the property
• A legal summary of the pack contents
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Do I need a Home Information Pack?
Home Information Packs are now required by law for most residential properties
placed on the market, however, there are some exceptions. Please find a
list of exceptions below
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Are there any exceptions?
You don't need a Home Information Pack for:
• Properties where there is no marketing (e.g. sale to member of your 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
• Sales of properties with leases of less than 21 years
• Unsafe properties and properties to be demolished.
• Properties already on the market when the duty to have a Pack arises (1st
August 2007 for sales of homes with 4 bedrooms or more, 10th September 2007 for
sales of homes with 3 bedrooms or more and 14th December 2007 for sales of homes
with 1 or 2 bedrooms)
For more information on exceptions, see:
Exceptions
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What happens if I change estate agents?
That will depend on the ownership of the HIP and the commercial terms that you
agreed with your original estate agent.
Some estate agents will offer to provide Home Information Packs on the condition
that you use them as your sole agent. If you wish to find a new agent, you may
need to buy a new HIP.
When you purchase a Home Information Pack from Property HIP Services, it will
belong to you and if you decide to change estate agents, all you need to do is
provide the new agent with a copy of your HIP.
You can remarket your property with the same pack provided that remarketing
starts within one year of the date when marketing first began.
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Why should I order my HIP from Property HIP Services?
PHS is an independent HIP provider.
We work hard to give our customers an accurate, well presented package of
documents that conform with the government's legislation surrounding Home
Information Packs.
Pricing: By keeping our overheads low
we can pass on great savings to our customers without compromising on quality or
service.
Flexibility: Evening and weekend
appointments are available - that means one of our energy assessors can call at
a time that suits you.
Presentation:
Our HIP is a clear and comprehensive PDF document, bookmarked for easy
navigation.
Timing: PHS HIPs are usually completed
within 10 working days.
Delivery: We send copies of the HIP to
your estate agent and solicitor on completion; you don’t have to do a thing.
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What's the order process?
We've created a 'wizard' for both our EPC online order
form and our HIP online order form to simplify
your form filling experience. If you'd like some guidance or just prefer to
place your order over the telephone, give us a call on
0844 800 1706 and one of our team will be happy to assist.
You'll receive an order confirmation by email (or by post where an email address
is unavailable). Direct payments using a debit or credit card will trigger
payment confirmation by email. When payment has cleared, one of our team will
contact you to arrange for an energy assessor to visit the property. Wherever
possible, we will arrange the day and time to suit your schedule.
If you've provided contact details for your chosen estate agency on the order
form, we'll forward a copy of your Home Information Pack to them on completion.
You don't have to do a thing.
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What is 'tenure'?
Property Tenure in simple terms refers to how the property is owned.
Freehold is the simplest form of property
tenure and is most commonly found in houses. Freehold means that you are the
out-right and complete owner of the building and the land on which it stands.
There could however be conditions on the freehold, despite the fact that you are
the out-right owner, if in the deeds there have been restrictions set in place
upon the initial build of the house, then any such restriction must be upheld.
Leasehold is a little more complicated than
freehold.
In effect it could be said that if you buy a leasehold you will never really own
the property or the land which it stands, you will only own the right of its use
for the specified time of the lease, at the end of which the property is handed
back to the free-holder, who holds the right to lease-hold the property.
There are both ‘long’ and ‘short’ leases within leasehold, the short lease can
be described as nothing more than a long tenancy agreement and a long leasehold
is virtually ownership of the property as, for example at the end of a 999 year
lease the probability that the building will be standing is extremely slim. The
length of the lease is certainly very relevant as the cost of the property will
vary depending on how long or short the lease is.
Commonhold is a new form of tenure
introduced in 2004, it is in actual fact a form of freehold for a property where
there are multiple units i.e. flats of separate ownership which also have common
areas such as stairways, halls and driveways.
The units (flats) are individually owned but the common parts are owned by a
commonhold association (a limited company) whose members must also be unit
owners.
Commonhold differs from leasehold in two important respects:
• Ownership of the units does not have a fixed term (as a lease would) — it is
in perpetuity
• Anyone who is not an owner of a unit cannot have an interest in the land or
common parts — thus there is no landlord
A commonhold HIP will include title documents for both the individual unit for
sale and for the shared areas.
In addition, the other required document is the 'commonhold community
statement'.
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If I have a share in the freehold, can I order a
freehold HIP?
No. In terms of the HIP it doesn't make a difference whether you own a share of
the freehold, the whole of the freehold, or if a management company owns the
freehold. If the property is leasehold then a leasehold HIP will need to be
purchased. There is a lot of important information contained with the leasehold
register, and that needs to be included in your HIP.
If the seller of a leasehold property is also selling their share of the
freehold, then the freehold title documents will be required for inclusion in
the leasehold HIP.
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How do I find out if my property is registered?
The majority of properties are registered with the Land Registry.
You can check that your property is registered by searching their online
database - operating hours for this service are between 7 am and 12 midnight,
Monday to Saturday (excluding bank holidays)
Search the Land Registry
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Why is there an additional charge for unregistered
properties?
A small percentage of properties are not registered with the Land Registry. This
normally occurs with properties that have not changed ownership for quite some
time.
If your property is not registered then an 'Epitome of title' has to be
included in the HIP. This is a collection of legal documents proving ownership,
for example title deeds and contracts from your purchase. If that information is
not held by you, it will be necessary to request it from the landlord, managing
agent or your lender. They may make a charge to release this information.
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What are my payment options?
- Most major debit and credit cards
- PayPal
- Bank Transfer - if you choose to pay via bank transfer, please find payment details
below.
- Or you can simply write a cheque (made payable to Property HIP Services Ltd)
ensuring that your order number is clearly marked on the back.
Alliance & Leicester
Account number: 05237998
Sort code: 72-00-00
Please find our postal address on the contact page.
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How long will the HIP take to complete?
A PHS HIP usually takes between 5 and 10 working days to complete.
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Can my property be marketed before the HIP is complete?
Since April 6th 2009, HIP legislation no longer allows for the marketing of
properties without the following required documents in place:
Index of contents
Property Information Questionnaire
Energy Performance Certificate
Sale statement
Register of title
Title plan
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For how long is the HIP valid?
Whilst the property is on the market, there is no need to update the Home
Information Pack.
If the sale of your property stops and then starts again, you would normally be
required to assemble a new Pack and to update those documents which are now out
of date according to the requirements of the Home Information Pack Regulations.
However, the seller can carry on using the same pack without
the need to update any of the documents in the following circumstances:
• Where marketing stopped because the seller accepted an offer and wants to
restart marketing because the sale has fallen through, provided that remarketing
starts within one year of the date when marketing first began or, if later,
within 28 days of the sale falling through.
• Where marketing has stopped for any other reason, the seller may remarket the
property with the same pack provided that remarketing starts within one year of
the date when marketing first began.
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Can I order a printed copy of my HIP?
Yes you can order a printed copy of your Home Information Pack - we realise that
some of our customers don't routinely use a computer or may simply prefer to
have a paper copy to hand. There is a £16 charge to cover administration,
printing, binding and postage and we will also provide your estate agent with an
electronic copy of the HIP on request.
The most popular option is to have the HIP sent, at no extra cost, to your
chosen email address as a single PDF document. You'll be free to forward the HIP
document to your estate agent or to any prospective buyer with the click of the
mouse. Our HIP is a clear and comprehensive PDF document, bookmarked for easy
navigation.
To read your PDF HIP document, you need to have PDF reader software such as
'Adobe Reader' installed on your computer. Follow the link below to download for
free.
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Who gets to view the information in my HIP?
You, or your estate agent will allow access to potential buyers who have a
genuine interest in purchasing your property. The information in the pack will
help them to make a more informed decision and ease the process of selling your
home.
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What are the new rules for HIPs from April 6th 2009?
Important Changes
The first change is that, from this date, the Home Information Pack will need to
be available from the first day your property is put on the market.
The second is to the HIP itself, which will now contain a new Property
Information Questionnaire (PIQ).
The PIQ, which you will need to complete, will provide a summary of key
information about your property in one place. This compulsory one-stop checklist
gives buyers information they need to know before making any decision.
First-time buyers, with little experience of buying a home, will find this
particularly helpful.
The PIQ aims to reduce unnecessary delays caused by information coming to light
later in the home selling and buying process. By ensuring that common questions
are answered at the beginning, and before sellers or buyers invest heavily in a
transaction, unwanted surprises can be avoided later on. These changes are being
introduced to HIPs so that better information is available from the first day a
property is put on the market, helping to inform decisions for sellers and
buyers, and helping to make the home selling and buying process more
straightforward.
more info...
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What is an Energy Performance Certificate?
Energy Performance Certificates are part of a series of measures being introduced
across Europe to reflect legislation which will help cut buildings’ carbon
emissions and improve their energy efficiency.
If you are selling your home you now need a certificate by law and, since
October 2008 all buildings, whenever they are built, sold or rented out, will
require one.
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What information does an EPC contain?
The Energy Performance Certificate gives home owners, tenants and buyers
information about the energy efficiency of their property.
Homes are energy rated into one of seven bands from A to
G, where A is the best and with the average to date
being D/E. This is a similar system to the energy rating of
domestic electrical goods and new motor vehicles. An energy rating is calculated
by entering data from a survey (property dimensions, wall construction, boiler
type, loft insulation etc.) into a computer program which generates an output
rating on a scale from 1 to 100 (1 being a low rating and 100 being a high
rating). This energy rating is linked to the cost of heating, lighting and hot
water per square metre of the property.
The current average rating for a property in England and Wales falls within
bands D - E. New build homes built to current building
standards are likely to achieve a high
C or low B rating.
The link below opens a sample Energy Performance Certificate in a new window
Sample
EPC
The certificate also includes:
• A summary of energy use, CO2 emissions and the cost of providing
lighting, heating and hot water within the property for 1 year.
• Recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of the property, from
relatively small changes such as fitting low energy light bulbs, to measures
that will boost the energy rating more significantly, such as cavity wall
insulation or a new boiler.
There are grants available to help finance energy efficiency improvements,
please visit the
Energy Savings Trust
website to find out more.
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What does an EPC actually look like?
The link below opens a sample Energy Performance Certificate in a new window
Sample EPC
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Will I have to pay for the EPC?
There's no additional charge for the EPC if you're purchasing a Home Information
Pack.
Individual Energy assessments are available and can be ordered online or
by calling 0844 800 1706.
Please see our pricing page for details.
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Will someone have to come round to my house?
In order to complete the Energy Performance Certificate (included in your Home
Information Pack), one of our team will need to pop round to look at the
features of the property that affect it's energy efficiency .
We offer flexible appointments including evenings and weekends, and will do our
best to arrange a time that suits you. Please be aware that evening appointments
will be dependant on available daylight as your assessor may need to identify
features to the exterior of the property. For example, evidence of retro-fit
cavity wall insulation.
PHS energy assessors are fully qualified and accredited professionals, committed
to maintaining the highest level of service and customer care.
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What should I expect on the day?
When your assessor calls, they will be happy to produce identification before
being invited into your home.
The assessment should take between 40 and 60 minutes. This is dependent on the
size of the property and the features to be recorded.
The energy inspection itself is non intrusive, however the assessor will
need access to:
• The heating system to establish it's make, model and fuel type
• The hot water cylinder if you have one
• Heating system programmers and thermostats
• Gas and electricity meters
• The roof space if possible
If you have any documentation relating to the following, please have
this have ready to show your assessor:
• The addition of cavity wall insulation, loft insulation or under floor
insulation after the original build
• Double glazing - year of installation
• Heating system manuals
• Documents relating to date of build for the main house and any
subsequent extensions
Your assessor will take measurements of the floor area and make a sketch of the
floor plan on which individual measurements and features can be noted.
Finally, your assessor will be looking at:
• Window types
• Thermostatic radiator valves
• Any low energy light bulbs currently fitted in the main light fixtures
(but not in lamps, garages and out-buildings)
More information about the extent of the survey and how the collected data is
used to generate your EPC.
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How long will the energy assessment take?
The assessment should take between 40 and 60 minutes. This is dependent on the
size of the property and the features to be recorded.
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What happens next?
Your assessor will submit the information gathered during the course of their
visit and generate an Energy Performance Certificate that is unique to your
property. The EPC will be included in your Home Information Pack or sent to you
separately, according to your order requirements.
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I need an EPC fast, how quickly can you deliver the
report?
We will do our very best to meet your requirements.
Follow these simple steps to fast-track your order:
- Place your order online using one of the instant payment methods (debit card,
credit card or PayPal) all accessible via the PayPal checkout button.
- As soon as you've placed your order, give us a call so we can arrange an
appointment for your energy assessment.
* Please note that payment must be cleared before the assessment can take place
The completed EPC will usually be available within 24 hours of the inspection.
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EPCs for rented properties
For rented properties an EPC will need to be provided whenever a self-contained
property is let to a new tenant.
It is the responsibility of the person renting a building to have a valid EPC to
show to prospective tenants. The EPC must be given to the eventual tenant.
An EPC is valid for ten years, except for sales of homes which are subject to the
Home Information Pack Regulations 2007, where a Home Information Pack (HIP) is
required. In these cases an EPC must be no more than three years old when the
property is first marketed.
The certificate is only required for a property which is self-contained. It is
not required when a tenant rents a room and shares facilities, where a tenant
has a separate contract with the landlord.
Every EPC also has a recommendations report showing how you could improve the
rating and make the property more attractive to tenants.
The EPC and recommendation report must be made available free of charge by a
landlord to a prospective tenant at the earliest opportunity and no later than:
• when any written information about the building is provided in response to a
request for information received from the prospective tenant; or
• when a viewing is conducted; or
• if neither of those occur, before entering into a contract to let.
EPCs are valid for 10 ten years and can be reused as many times as required
within that period. If a newer EPC is produced within the ten year period, only
the most recent one is valid.
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