Piink.co.uk are able to offer a FREE HiP*. Call now for details!!!


Recent History

From 14th December 2007, all residential property new to the market requires a Home Information Pack (HiP).

The two questions we hear the most are;

• What does it include?
• How much does it cost?

There has been much bad press about the introduction of the HiPs and the government’s ‘phased’ approach didn’t generate any confidence either!
However, they are designed to reduce the cost of buying a property, especially if the sale falls through, so is, overall, a step in the right direction.

The answers to the above questions are;

• Local council searches
• Water & drainage searches
• Land Registry entry (copy)
• Title Deeds (copy)
• A statement of fact about the property
• Copy of the Lease, if necessary
• Service Charge costs, if necessary
• Energy Efficiency Inspection

All but the last on the above list are documents that are already obtained in the process of buying a property.
However, in the past, it was the Buyer’s solicitor who requested this information at the Buyer’s cost.
If the sale of the property fell through and this could be simply because the Seller changed their mind, this cost would have to be paid and you would have one very angry Buyer.
This was seen as unfair, so the government changed the responsibility to the Seller.

This, in essence, is what the HiP is.
If you compare the process to selling your car, if you want the best price, you will make sure it is presentable, Mot’d and Taxed, serviced and that all the paperwork is in place, such as the Log book.
If someone likes the look of the car, they will then ask to look at the documentation and if that appears to be correct and support the vehicle, they will make an offer.

This is now, very similar to selling your home.
If someone likes the property, they may want to look at the documentation and then make an offer.

The final item is new and is has been put in place due to an EU directive that states all property should be able to be assessed for energy efficiency by 2010.
The government have put a lot of groundwork in place, making sure councils can perform electronic searches quickly and accurately, as well as Water companies, so that the HiP can be obtained quickly.

In the case of the Energy Efficiency Inspection, a qualified inspector will visit you and assess your property to measure its efficiency.

There are two sets of results given, one for the Energy Efficiency Rating and the other for Environmental Impact Rating.
The property’s performance is rated in terms of the energy use per square metre of floor area, energy efficiency based on fuel costs and environmental impact based on carbon dioxide emissions.



Graph 1 shows the Energy Efficiency Rating of a property and is a measure of the overall efficiency of a home.
The higher the rating, the more efficient the home is and the lower the fuel bills will be.

Graph 2 shows the Environmental Impact Rating and is a measure of the home’s impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.
The higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment.

The inspector will assess items such as, the efficiency of the boiler, if it is regularly serviced, whether there are thermostatic valves on the radiators, to how much insulation there is in the loft and whether you have double glazed windows or not.

The report will also give advice and figures on how to improve your ratings.


Question 2 - Cost

The Hip can cost as little as £250 + Vat, but is more usually around £400 + Vat.
The reason for the differences are the charges made by third parties, councils will charge different amounts for the searches and if you wish to defer the payment of the HiP.



Questions and Answers

• Q. How does your FREE HiP work?
• A. By working closely with one solicitor, we are jointly financing a HiP on your property that is totally FREE when we sell your property. i.e. when the property is sold, we pay for the HiP out of our commission on the sale. E.g. If the commission is £1000 and the HiP is £399, you only pay the £1000 and we pay the £399 for the HiP. However, if we DO NOT sell your property, or you withdraw from using our services, then HiP then needs to be paid for. So, it is FREE as long as we sell your property.

• Q. Is anything else included?
• A. Possibly. The cost of conveyancing on the sale of your property can be included. Because most of the work has already been carried out in the preparation of the HiP, our solicitor can complete the sale with no further cost, other than any third-party charges, such as Bank Transfer fees.

• Q. Is there any way of selling my house without having a HiP?
• A. If it is a private sale and not on the open market, or a property that is to be demolished, or a part-exchange, although the property would need a HiP to sell on again.

• Q. Do I need a HiP if my property was on the market before 14th December 2007?
• A. At the moment, no, but the government will set a date when this will change and all property, however long it has been on the market, will need a HiP. In our opinion, the longer a property is for sale without a HiP, the clearer it will become just how long it has been for sale, so it could be worthwhile, from a marketing point of view, to commission a HiP.

• Q. How long will the HiP on my property last for?
• A. The HiP will last as long as your property stays on the market and even if you take it off and then put it back on again, if it is within 28 days. However, there are ELEMENTS of the HiP which do have a life and will need updating. This is currently; - Local searches – 6 months – Cost to upgrade, approximately £150 + Vat

• Q. Can you market my property BEFORE I have a HiP in place?
• A. Yes, but you have to sign a document authorising for the HiP to be ordered on your behalf before we can go ahead.

• Q. What if I don’t agree with something in the HiP?
• A. If you disagree with the Energy Efficiency inspection, you will need to talk directly to the inspector or their company. Their details should be on the report. If you don’t agree with anything else in the HiP, you will need to talk to the solicitor who put the pack together. We can inform you who that is.

• Q. Who can see the HiP on my property?
• A. The HiP is published on the internet and so, can be seen by anyone. It is designed so that there is no sensitive, security or personal information in the HiP. In our opinion, the government should have made people wanting to view the HiP register their details with the Estate Agent first, but this has not happened.

• Q. If I put my house on the market and buy a property that doesn’t have a HiP, will I have to pay for both?
• A. Yes, but we would advise adjusting the price you pay for the property to cater for this fact.

If you wish to discuss more about HiPs or our professional service,
please call the office on
01455 239000