Home Information Packs

Home Information Packs (HIPs) are now a legal requirement for all properties. The government has announced (8th May 2008) that it is extending the transitional arrangements introduced last year which enabled properties to be marketed once the HIP has been commissioned. Therefore, until 31st December 2008, you do not need to have received your HIP before you put your property on the market. If you are advertising with HouseWeb, you can therefore advertise your property, order your HIP and we will then turn your advert live. As a HIP is now a legal requirement, it is the responsibility of the seller to provide the HIP. Order your HIP today with HouseWeb. We’ve teamed up with one of the country's leading HIP providers and can offer you two pricing options: 1) £349 + VAT (if you are not advertising your property with HouseWeb) 2) £279 + VAT for all HouseWeb customers. To take advantage of this £70 saving, simply place your advert with us and then order your HIP from within your account. Adverts packages start from just £47. Order your HIP at £349 plus VAT.   DOWNLOAD HOUSEWEB'S FREE GUIDE TO HIPs Quick Guide to HIPs implementation* No of Bedrooms Date Action When Can I start marketing my property? All Homes If marketed on or after 14th Dec 2007 You must order a HIP Once you have ordered your HIP All Homes If marketed on or after 31st December 2008 You must order a HIP Once you have ordered and received your HIP 3 Bedrooms If marketed continuously before 10th Sept 2007 No HIP required until 1st June 2008   4 Bedrooms + If marketed continuously before 1st Aug 2007 No HIP required   *Subject to change at any time by the Government. What is a HIP? The government have introduced HIPs in an attempt to improve the process of buying and selling property in England and Wales and to improve the environment through energy awareness. A Home Information Pack includes essential information about a property which was previously not made available to the buyer until later in the process. It also includes an Energy Performance Certificate, rating each property, and highlighting ways to save energy. By making this information available upfront, the intention is to speed up the process of buying and selling property. A Home Condition Report (similar to a survey) can be included as an optional extra, as can guarantees and warranties.  What does a HIP include? The Pack must contain at least the following:   Home Information Pack Index An Energy Performance Certificate, rating the property on a scale of A to G and suggesting ways to improve its energy consumption. This must be produced by a member of the Government approved certification scheme and includes an Energy graph which must be available with the property’s details.   Sale Statement   Standard Searches Evidence of title Additional information for Leasehold and Commonhold sales where appropriate. Additional documents which can be included are: Home Condition Report, similar to a survey.   Legal Summary Guarantees and warranties Other searches.   Home use/contents forms. Are there any properties that don't need a HIP? From August 1st all properties in England & Wales with 4 or more bedrooms need a HIP, 3 bedrooms since 10th September and all other properties since the 14th December 2007. There are also a number of cases where a HIP is not required at all. Properties where there is no marketing (e.g. sale to member of the family) Non-residential properties Seasonal and holiday accommodation Mixed sales (e.g. shop with flat) Right to buy sales Sales of portfolios of properties Properties not being sold with completely vacant possession Unsafe properties and properties to be demolished. How can HouseWeb help me with HIPs? HouseWeb is working closely with one of the country's leading HIP providers to offer various options at competitive prices. There is the option to defer payment for nine months or pay on completion, whichever is sooner. Once your HIP is ordered your property can go live on the market (i.e. you will not have to wait for the HIP to be complete). It will typically take 7 working days to prepare, dependent on how quickly the Energy Assessor can gain access to your property. The HIP will be made available to you as a PDF file once it is complete so you can then send  it to serious prospective buyers, or print off a hard copy. You will find more information on the Government website: http://www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk

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