Home Information Packs (HIPs)

From 14 December 2007, it is a legal requirement that whoever is marketing a residential property is responsible for ensuring a valid pack of information about the property is available.*

This pack of information is called a Home Information Pack (HIP) and it must have been requested and paid for, or a commitment made to pay for it, BEFORE a property can be marketed.

The requirement for a HIP has been introduced to help make it easier for people to buy and sell homes in England and Wales.

A HIP is intended to reduce possible delays when a suitable buyer has been found and to make available to prospective buyers detailed information about the property from the outset. With this transparency of information, they can then make a more informed decision before making an offer to buy the property.

The information supplied within a HIP falls into two categories:

• REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
• AUTHORISED DOCUMENTS

Authorised documents are those that CAN go into a HIP
Required documents are those which MUST go into a HIP

One of the required documents is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
An EPC will need to be completed by a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA).

The EPC will show a rating of the overall energy efficiency of your home – the higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is and the lower the fuel bills will be.

It will also show an environmental impact rating of your home in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – the higher the rating, the less impact on the environment.

The above is a brief outline about Home Information Packs. For further information, or to order your HIP ready for marketing, contact one of our HIP advisers now.

* Applies to qualifying properties. Certain properties do not require a HIP.