What do HIP mean for me if I am buying
For buyers
How do Home Information Packs apply to me?
People buying homes in England and Wales will be able to get free information about properties they're interested in.
The Pack is designed to ensure that important information needed by potential buyers is available to them when they need it, as they consider whether or not to buy a property.
If any items are missing, there should be a satisfactory explanation and an assurance that the missing items will be provided as soon as possible.
How do I get a Pack?
Interested in a property? Just ask whoever is advertising it for sale for the Home Information Pack. This is usually an estate agent, but could be another business or individual.
If it’s an estate agent, they must give you a copy of the Pack free of charge (although they may make a reasonable charge to cover their costs of copying and posting it). If the seller isn’t using an estate agent, you should be able to get the Pack directly from them.
How much will it cost me?
If you’re a buyer, nothing: you’ll get a copy of the Home Information Pack free on any property you’re interested in. However, a reasonable charge may be made for copying and for posting the pack.
Under Home Information Packs, the overall costs of buying and selling a home will be similar to now, but will be spread more evenly between buyers and sellers.
The new Energy Performance Certificate is a compulsory part of the Pack, and is paid for by the seller.
What do I do with it?
The Pack has to be available when the property is marketed – make sure you ask for it. When you get it, read it carefully, or ask your solicitor to look at it for you: it will tell you about the property’s energy efficiency, any issues that have come up in the local searches, and (if you have a Home Condition Report) anything you need to know about its condition.
When you have an offer accepted, make sure you give a copy of the Pack to your solicitor – this should save you time and money in the rest of the process.
What’s in a Pack?
Your Pack will contain:
Only items that are set out in regulations as either ‘required’ (compulsory) or ‘authorised’ (optional) may be included in the Pack. The regulations prohibit the inclusion of marketing or advertising material in the Pack, so make sure it includes only official material.
The Pack might also contain a legal summary, and answers to standard enquiries made of sellers.
Where searches, leasehold or commonhold documents are missing, the seller should provide a letter from a Home Information Pack provider, or whoever else has been commissioned to provide them, confirming that an agreement has been made to supply the documents as soon as practicable, and within 28 days except in exceptional circumstances. If this takes longer than 28 days, providers will be expected to demonstrate that they have made all reasonable efforts and enquiries to obtain them.
What does the Energy Performance Certificate say?
Check whether the Energy Performance Certificate gives a high efficiency rating. It will have useful advice on any improvements that can cut fuel bills and boost the energy efficiency of the property.
Is there a Home Condition Report in the Pack?
If your seller has commissioned one, a Home Condition Report will contain useful information on the property’s condition. These are currently voluntary, so there might not be one in your Pack.
Is there a legal summary?
Some Packs come with a legal summary, providing the most important information from its legal documents.
Are the searches and, for leasehold properties, the necessary leasehold documents included?
These items are not always easy to obtain quickly: at the moment, sellers have up to 28 days in which to get them for the Pack.
The Pack is designed to ensure that important information needed by potential buyers is available to them when they need it, as they consider whether or not to buy a property.
If any items are missing, there should be a satisfactory explanation and an assurance that the missing items will be provided as soon as possible.
How do I get a Pack?
Interested in a property? Just ask whoever is advertising it for sale for the Home Information Pack. This is usually an estate agent, but could be another business or individual.
If it’s an estate agent, they must give you a copy of the Pack free of charge (although they may make a reasonable charge to cover their costs of copying and posting it). If the seller isn’t using an estate agent, you should be able to get the Pack directly from them.
How much will it cost me?
If you’re a buyer, nothing: you’ll get a copy of the Home Information Pack free on any property you’re interested in. However, a reasonable charge may be made for copying and for posting the pack.
Under Home Information Packs, the overall costs of buying and selling a home will be similar to now, but will be spread more evenly between buyers and sellers.
The new Energy Performance Certificate is a compulsory part of the Pack, and is paid for by the seller.
What do I do with it?
The Pack has to be available when the property is marketed – make sure you ask for it. When you get it, read it carefully, or ask your solicitor to look at it for you: it will tell you about the property’s energy efficiency, any issues that have come up in the local searches, and (if you have a Home Condition Report) anything you need to know about its condition.
When you have an offer accepted, make sure you give a copy of the Pack to your solicitor – this should save you time and money in the rest of the process.
What’s in a Pack?
Your Pack will contain:
- An Energy Performance Certificate
- An index of contents
- A sale statement (summarising terms of sale)
- Evidence of title
- Searches
- Leasehold or commonhold documents where appropriate.
- Searches
- Leasehold and commonhold information.
Only items that are set out in regulations as either ‘required’ (compulsory) or ‘authorised’ (optional) may be included in the Pack. The regulations prohibit the inclusion of marketing or advertising material in the Pack, so make sure it includes only official material.
The Pack might also contain a legal summary, and answers to standard enquiries made of sellers.
Where searches, leasehold or commonhold documents are missing, the seller should provide a letter from a Home Information Pack provider, or whoever else has been commissioned to provide them, confirming that an agreement has been made to supply the documents as soon as practicable, and within 28 days except in exceptional circumstances. If this takes longer than 28 days, providers will be expected to demonstrate that they have made all reasonable efforts and enquiries to obtain them.
What does the Energy Performance Certificate say?
Check whether the Energy Performance Certificate gives a high efficiency rating. It will have useful advice on any improvements that can cut fuel bills and boost the energy efficiency of the property.
Is there a Home Condition Report in the Pack?
If your seller has commissioned one, a Home Condition Report will contain useful information on the property’s condition. These are currently voluntary, so there might not be one in your Pack.
Is there a legal summary?
Some Packs come with a legal summary, providing the most important information from its legal documents.
Are the searches and, for leasehold properties, the necessary leasehold documents included?
These items are not always easy to obtain quickly: at the moment, sellers have up to 28 days in which to get them for the Pack.