Lords Estate Agents - HIP's - Residential Sales covering Kingston upon Thames, South West London, North Surrey, UK

20th May 2010 - HIPs Suspended

The Government has just announced that HIPS have been suspended with immediate effect, pending primary legislation to abolish them.

It will still be a requirement to obtain an EPC and this must be commissioned before a property is marketed.

What is a HIP?

A Home Information Pack (also known as the HIP) is compulsory for most homes on the market in England and Wales. The 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 in most cases, a property cannot be marketed without one.

The HIP lets buyers see important information about 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 and is made up of the following compulsory and optional items:

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
home use/contents form
other documents like specialist searches (for example, the seller may choose to include a mining search in a mining area)

Home Information Packs and Lords

Lords offer a number of HIP solutions to suit your requirements. For more information, contact your local Lords office and speak to one of our Property Consultants. Alternatively, for online information including FAQ’s visit the Home Information Pack Website here.