What is a Home Information Pack?

A HIP is a Home Information Pack. It is now compulsory for all home owners in England and Wales to commission a Home Information Pack before being able to market their property for sale.

Our Home Information Pack consists of 3 sections, the Legal section, Search section and the Energy Efficiency Report.

The relevant sections of the Home Information Pack will contain the following documentation:-

Legal Pack

• A Sale Statement - describing the property being sold.
• Evidence of Title - from the Land Registry or copies of the title deeds to the property.
• Planning/Building Documentation.
• Warranties/Guarantees - for building work.

Leasehold transactions may require additional documentation which could include:-

• Copy Lease.
• Details of the Landlord or Management Company.
• Regulations made by the Landlord or Management Company.
• Details of the Service Charges and recent requests for payments for Ground Rent and Insurance.
• Information about current and planned works on the property.

Legal Sellers Pack

Unique to our Home Information Pack will be the correlation of a Legal Sellers Pack (LSP). The Legal Sellers Pack documentation is prepared by our Lawyers in order to ensure that you are in a position to issue a contract for sale in relation to your property as soon as the sale has been negotiated.

The Legal Sellers Pack will highlight any particular concerns or areas that require further investigation that may have an effect on selling the property and will include:

• Completed Welcome Pack.
• Completed Preliminary Enquiries.
• Fixtures, Fitting and Contents Documentation.
• Warranties and Guarantees.
• Planning/Building Documentation.
• Any other relevant documentation to facilitate the sale of your property.

Searches

A Local Authority Search will be required. A Local Authority Search will provide information as to whether or not roads have been adopted by the Local Authority; whether alterations have been made to the property and general information affecting the property of which the Local Authority are aware.

Water and Drainage Search. This search provides information as to whether the property has the benefit of foul drainage and surface water to a public sewer and whether adoption agreements have been entered into with the relevant Water Authority in this regard.

All searches will be requested and received directly through our HIP Portal by our Panel Lawyers and will be undertaken via our nationwide network of search providers. The results of the searches will be received within 5 days and can be tracked from their initial request to the results being received on-line.

Energy Efficiency Report

The Energy Efficiency Report involves a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) which is a calculation of a building's energy efficiency. This is a government strategy to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide.