Need to instruct a HIP? We can offer a personalised HIP service at competitive prices.

A Home Information Pack (also known as the HIP) is compulsory for most homes in England and Wales. From 6 April 2009, important changes are being made to HIPs. This means better information will be available from the first day a property is put on the market.

Why do you need a HIP?

A HIP is a set of documents that provides the buyer with key information on the property and must be provided by the seller or the seller's agent. It is a legal requirement to have a HIP and you can't market your property without one.

The HIP lets buyers see important information on the property at the start of the process, free of charge. This means there is less chance of buyers becoming aware of any surprises at the end of the process. The HIP can help reduce delays and extra expense to the buyer and seller.

Most of the information included in a HIP is the standard conveyance work carried out by solicitors during the course of finalising the sale, the one big change being the inclusion of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC).

What does a HIP Contain?

The HIP is made up of required (compulsory) and authorised (optional) items.

See an example - Download a sample pack (PDF)

Listed below are all the compulsory documents that need to be included.

Compulsory Documents

The following documents must be included in your HIP:

Freehold Properties

• Home Information Pack Index
• The new Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ), from 6 April 2009
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA)
• Sustainability information (required for newly built homes)
• Sale Statement
• Evidence of Title
• Standard searches (local authority and drainage and water)

Leasehold Properties

• All the compulsory documents above
• A copy of the lease

Optional documents

Other documents can be included within your HIP, but these are optional. If they are included, it could help to speed up the sale and ensure that the process goes more smoothly. These include:

• Home Condition Report
• Legal summary
• Other documents like specialist searches (for example, the seller may choose to include a mining search in a mining area)

Home Condition Report

A Home Condition Report contains information about the physical condition of a property, which sellers, buyers and lenders will be able to rely on legally as an accurate report. See an example: Download a sample report

It is similar to a Homebuyer Survey and can let the seller and buyer be aware of any works or repairs that are needed to the property.

Legal Summary

This is a simple "plain English" summary of all the legal documents.

Searches

The standard searches need to be included in HIPs, but they can also contain non-standard searches. This can often speed up the sale of the property.

For example, it's standard practice to obtain a mining search in areas where coal mining has taken place. Sellers in these areas could save time if they provide this search in the HIP.

Other non-standard searches cover rights of way, ground stability and actual or potential environmental hazards such as flooding and contaminated land. For further information relating to Home Information Packs please visit the government website:

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

If you need to instruct a HIP, Freelancer Financials can offer a personalised HIP service at competitive prices.

Please complete the HIP form and we will be in touch shortly.

To get an immediate quote or speak to an adviser, please call us on 020 8421 7998.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for Landlords

From 1st October 2008 an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will be required for all rental properties. It will be the landlord's responsibility to make the EPC available to all prospective tenants. An EPC is only required for a property which is self-contained, and is valid for 10 years.

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) gives home owners, tenants and buyers information on the energy efficiency of their property. The ratings are similar to those found on products such as fridges and are standard so the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another. It gives the building a standard energy and carbon emission efficiency grade from 'A' to 'G', where 'A' is the most efficient. The average efficiency grade to date is 'D'.

Example of an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Competitive quotes for Energy Performance Certs.