Home Information Packs

What is a Home Information Pack?
A Home Information Pack (HIP) is a pack of legal searches and other information about your house or flat that is made available to potential buyers.  The idea is that buyers have the opportunity to view, and get legal advice on, essential documents relating to the property before they make their offer.  In theory that should mean there is less chance of a sale falling through later on.  It also provides an energy efficiency rating for the property.

Why do I need a HIP?
It is now illegal to market any residential property for sale without first ordering a HIP.  For the time being, it will not be a requirement to actually have a HIP in place before the property is marketed.  As long as you have applied for one, you can start marketing straight away.  This concession is expected to be lifted some time in 2008.  Anyone who is thinking of selling their home in the near future should order their HIP as early as possible to avoid possible delays in marketing later, when potential sales could be lost.

Why use Brethertons to order my HIP?
The HIP is a legal pack.  It contains legal documents, many of which are very technical.  Brethertons has teams of qualified lawyers with the expertise to advise you on the contents and implications of the documents for you as seller. Our HIPs are ordered and supplied electronically, which cuts out delays and keep the cost to a minimum.

Once you have purchased a HIP, we can deliver it to whoever you want to market the house.  If you subsequently change your estate agent, we simply deliver it to the new agent.  Be aware that if you order a HIP through an estate agent, they will often insist that it is owned by them, so if you change agent later you will have to pay for a new one.

What is in a HIP?
The compulsory elements of the HIP are:

• An index
• An energy efficiency certificate prepared by a qualified specialist inspector
• A local and drainage search
• A copy of the title
• (for properties less than 10 years old) unexpired new homes warranty
• (for leasehold properties) a copy of the lease.

Documents that can be added optionally include additional searches relevant to the property, documents referred to in the title, a Home Condition Report (HCR), and leasehold management information such as service charge accounts, block buildings insurance details and management company constitution.

Further regulations may be made over time, for instance to make HCRs compulsory rather than optional.

How do I get a HIP?
Brethertons LLP can order a HIP for you and you only pay the market rate. We recommend that you order your HIP before you ask the estate agent to put the house on the market.  This will avoid any delay in marketing the property. For further details, please contact any member of our conveyancing team or one of our lawyers below.

Michael Dibben Partner and Head of Conveyancing Tel: (01295) 270 056 Fax: (01295) 277 648 Email: michaeldibben@brethertons.co.uk

Harvey Gibbs Solicitor Tel: (01788) 551 611 Fax: (01788) 551 597 Email: harveygibbs@brethertons.co.uk

Kate Austin FILEX Tel: (01788) 551 611 Fax: (01788) 551 597 Email: kateaustin@brethertons.co.uk