Home Information Packs (HIPs)

Home Information Packs are being introduced in England and Wales on 1st August 2007 to help speed up and simplify the home buying process.

Before your property can be marketed you must have, an index, a sales statement, Land Registry & Tile plan, an EPC (energy performance certificate) and proof that the remainder of the ‘Required Content’ of the HIP has been applied for. Satchells can provide a fast efficient service at a competitive price. We will be able to give you an electronically generated estimate of the cost of your HIP delivered to you at the point of Valuation, and then ordered on line should you decide to instruct us.

The following documents are ‘Required Content’ and must be included within a Home Information Pack:

• Index – should list all documents included in the pack, as well as any missing documents that are to be included later
• Sale Statement – a brief statement of property being sold
• Land Registry Title & Plan – up to date official record of who owns the land
• Energy Performance Certificate
• Copy of the New Homes Warranty (applicable for new builds or converted properties)
• Local Authority Searches
• Drainage and Water Search
• Additional documents for Leasehold Properties (including a copy of the Lease and Landlords details).

The Energy Performance Certificate will look like the following example.


Click here to enlarge

The following ‘Authorised’ documents and information do not have to be provided in a Home Information Pack. However, the regulations strongly recommend that these documents are included where they are relevant to the property and/or its sale, and are likely to be of interest to potential buyers. In particular, the regulations strongly recommend that Home Contents and Home Use forms are included.

Authorised documents or information may be added to the pack at any time, but it is recommended that where possible, they are included from the outset to avoid potential delays.

• Home Condition Report - a report giving the buyer, seller and Mortgage Lender important information on the physical condition of the property
• Information identifying the property, for example a map, plan or drawing
• Information about the source or supply of any pack document, including additional Land Registry documents for Commonhold or Leasehold properties
• Warranties or Guarantees to provide evidence of work undertaken to remedy defects highlighted in the Home Condition Report
• Warranties, insurance policies or guarantees which exist for the property outside of that described above, that may be of interest to the buyer
• Additional searches relating to the sale of the property including an Environmental Search, Mining Search, Flood Risk Search or searches relating to Telecommunications or Transport
• Additional searches that relate to other land or property in the vicinity of the property provided. For example, a person selling a house in a rural or sea-front location with a desirable view might want to show that there are no plans to develop adjacent land
• Home Use Form
• Home Contents Form

If your property was marketed before the 1st June 2007 and remains on the market you do not need to get a HIP immediately, however if you are still trying to sell by December 2007 you will require a HIP, alternatively your buyer may insist on a HIP prior to agreeing to purchase your property.

For further information or to purchase your HIP via satchels please contact your local Stchells office:

Sandy - 01767 683222 - sandy@satchells.co.uk
Biggleswade - 01767 313256 - satchells@biggleswade.net
Stotfold - 01462 733730 - stotfold@satchells.co.uk
Letchworth - 01462 480077 - satchels@letchworth.net
Baldock - 01462 892041 - satchels@baldock.net

Further information regarding home information packs can be found at

http://www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/