Do I need a pack?

If your property falls within one of the following exceptions you will not be required to provide a HIP in order to market the property.

  • Non Residential Properties
  • Individual private sales. i.e you sell your property to a knownperson, typically a friend or a member of your family, without advertising the property at all. If you advertise the property as being for sale at all then you will require a HIP.
  • Non-vacant possession (if you have a sitting tenant)
  • Short Term Interests (a lease period shorter than 21 years)
  • Non-Residential properties (properties that are not primarily residential)
  • Properties in dual use
  • Mixed sales (for example a shop with a flat)
  • Unsafe properties
  • Properties to be demolished
  • Seasonal & Holiday accommodation
  • ‘Right to Buy’ and similar sales

What goes in a HIP?

The following compulsory documents must be included in a Home Information Pack:

    • Home Information Pack Index
    • Energy Performance Certificate
    • Sale statement
    • Standard searches
    • Evidence of title
    • Additional information for leasehold and commonhold sales, where
      appropriate.

You have the option to include other documents such as a Home Condition Report, an environmental or flood risk search and other information that would be of interest to a potential buyer as defined in the regulations.

Who pays for the Pack?

The seller is responsible for the cost of a Home Information Pack

Where can I get a HIP from?

If you are a homeowner you have the option of:

  • a Pack Provider such as ourselves.
  • an Estate Agent. An Estate Agent may offer you a HIP which appears to be relatively cheap or even free. It is likely however that the cost of the pack will ultimately be included in the commission you pay. Offers such as these are often made on the condition that the agent has sole agency rights over your property. Further, if you choose to market your property elsewhere or remove it from the market, the agent may legitimately charge you the full cost of the HIP.
  • a solicitor. Many legal firms are now supplying HIPs and may be offered at a greatly reduced rate, but this will likely be on the condition that they carry out the conveyance.
  • compiling your own HIP. It is perfectly legal to provide a HIP compiled by yourself. You should however consider the following:
    • you will need to find someone to compile the EPC for you. Do you know what qualifications to look for? Our panel of Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors are all fully qualified and accredited.
    • you will need to obtain and provide ‘Evidence of Title’ which can be complicated since every property has a different legal ‘title’.
    • you will need to order a ‘Personal’ search or initiate a ‘Local’ search. You could find however that the search you provide is not to the satisfaction of a purchaser’s solicitor resulting in you having to commission further searches at your own expense. PTP however are closely associated with a recognised search company, who are bound by and comply with the Search Code code of practice. Since Searches carried out by Agents operating under this Code are recognized by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, providing searches are not more than 3 months old further searches will not be required by a purchaser’s solicitors.
    • you will need to put together the rest of the pack yourself including, but not limited to:
      • an Index
      • Sale Statement
      • a New Homes Warranty where applicable
      • additional information is required if the property is leasehold, as is also the case with commonhold property

All of this can be very time consuming and stressful for someone who is not familiar with the process. Let’s face it, selling your home is stressful enough without the added worry of ensuring that your pack complies with the law. If any of the information contained in the HIP is incorrect, there is a real risk that the buyer of your property may instigate legal proceedings against you, which could be a very costly exercise. With a pack from PTP, you can be assured that we, our panel of Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors as well as the Search Company we use are all fully covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance. We are therefore in the ideal position to provide everything that is legally required, with the least stress and in the shortest time possible, for you to sell your home.