Guideline and help for compiling your own HIP

Where do I get the documents if I’m compiling my own Pack?
Some documents are compulsory and others optional – although it’s possible that some of the optional documents will be requested by the buyer’s conveyancer later in the process, so it might save time to get them now. Guidance on how to get different items is below.

Compulsory (‘required’) documents
An index is a list of the Pack’s contents. An index form can be downloaded.  Click here for word or pdf formats.

A sale statement summarises the terms of sale. A sale statement can be downloaded here.

If your home is registered, evidence of title is provided by the official copies of the register and title plan, which can be obtained from the appropriate Land Registry office. A fee is payable, and such copies are acceptable as evidence in the courts. Alternatively, plain copies can be found on the Land Registry website.

If your home isn’t registered, you’ll need to supply an official result of a search of the index map (SIM) confirming this. This can be obtained from the appropriate Land Registry office. The result should be accompanied by whatever the documents you are relying on to show that you have title to the property – and therefore the right to sell it. For more information, visit the Land Registry.

A local search can be requested from the Local Land Charges department of the Local Authority that your property is in. Alternatively, you can use a channel of the National Land Information Service (NLIS) or a personal search company. Details of these companies will be in your local business listings.

A drainage and water search can be requested from your water supplier. Again, you can use a channel of the National Land Information Service or a personal search company. Details of these companies can be found in your local business listings.

An Energy Performance Certificate (compulsory) or Home Condition Report (optional) can be obtained by instructing a registered Home Inspector. You can find Home Inspectors through advertisements in your local business listings.

Predicted energy assessments are for homes that are not yet built. When a home is designed, a predicted energy rating based on the design is produced. This must achieve at least the target energy rating laid down for the home as specified by the energy efficiency requirements of building regulations.

Interim energy assessments are for new homes built in accordance with the energy efficiency requirements of the building regulations that came into force in April 2006. For these homes, until 1 October 2007, only the energy-efficiency and environmental-impact graphs will be required, and not the full Energy Performance Certificate.

There are three certification schemes for Home Inspectors. Their details are as follows:

BRE (Buildings Research Establishment)
www.breinspector.co.uk
01923 664 829

RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)
www.rics.org/hips
0870 333 1600

SAVA (Surveyors and Valuers Accreditation Ltd)
www.sava-cs.org.uk
0870 837 650

Optional (‘authorised’) documents
You may also decide to include some or all of the following additional documents in your Pack. It is not necessary for you to do so, but it may increase the chances of a smoother sale if you do. The additional documents include:

  • A Home Condition Report – an objective report on the condition of your home on which your buyer and their mortgage lender can rely
  • Home-contents and home-use forms – forms completed by the seller on a range of matters of interest to potential buyers. Copies of these forms can be downloaded here.
  • Any relevant guaranties and warranties
Additional searches, such as mining, environmental and flood-risk, will often be needed by buyers. It will save time if sellers provide these themselves where appropriate.

Is your property leasehold or commonhold?
If your property is leasehold, you need to include a copy of the lease and any proposed changes to the lease.

The lease should have been provided to you when you purchased the property. If the property is registered, information on how to obtain an official, court-admissible copy (along with the associated fee) will be available from the Land Registry. Plain copies of the lease may also be available.

You also need to include the following:

  • Information on service charges
  • Details of the current lessor and, if different, whoever is responsible for managing the property
  • The management rules
  • Details of any proposed works to the property or the building in which it is located.
All of these documents should have been provided to you by the landlord or manager of your building. If you’ve lost or mislaid any of them, you should be able to get copies from the landlord or manager – although you’ll probably have to pay a fee.

If your property is commonhold, you need to include the following information:

  • Official copies of the individual register and title plan relating to the common parts and the commonhold community statement referred to in the register. These can be obtained from the appropriate Land Registry office. A fee is payable, and such copies are acceptable as evidence in the courts. Information regarding how to obtain official copies and the fees payable can be obtained from the Land Registry website
  • Apart from those described in the commonhold community statement, any regulations made for the purpose of managing the commonhold and any proposed changes to them
  • Most recent requests for financial contributions in respect of the property
  • Details of the managing agent and any other person responsible for managing the commonhold
  • Details of any proposed works to the property or the common parts.

 

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