Before you can put your house or flat on the market, your estate agent (or you yourself if you are selling privately) must be in possession of a home information pack (referred to generally as a HIP). Once in possession of the HIP, the estate agent must make a copy available to any potential buyer requesting one.

Contents of a HIP

A HIP is a bundle of information relating to your property. It must contain an index, a sale statement, an energy performance certificate, title details, a local search, a water and drainage search and a property information questionnaire. Because there may sometimes be a delay in obtaining the searches, the HIPs rules allow these particular items to be placed with the HIP up to 28 days after the property has been put on the market (subject to certain conditions being satisfied). This is an extremely useful exception and should mean that the HIP can be produced in a matter of days. This will, of course, depend on how quickly the energy performance certificate (EPC) can be produced. It is often possible to pay for an expedited EPC but this will cost more than a standard EPC.

How long does a HIP last?

HIPs do not go out of date for as long as the property is being continuously marketed. Provided the HIP complies with the regulations when the property goes on the market (that is to say, as at that date the EPC is no more than three years old and the searches and title details are no more than three months old) then the HIP will remain valid for as long as the property is on the market.

Even if the property is taken off the market, the HIP will remain valid provided the property is re-marketed within 12 months of the first date of marketing. In circumstances where a property is taken off the market and then put back on the market more than a year after the first date of marketing you will need to produce a new HIP (unless the property came off the market because an offer was accepted by the seller and is then put back on the market within 28 days of that offer being withdrawn or rejected).

How FSP can help you with your HIP

There is no doubt that a solicitor is best placed to provide all of the HIPs documents and to provide the HIP to the estate agent. At FSP we have direct access to Land Registry documents and we are able to order searches and EPCs online. We have obtained a HIP for a client in as little as 24 hours and the average time is no more than a few days. Where speed is of the essence, we are happy to instruct EPC and search providers who are able to offer an expedited service (for which they will usually charge an additional fee).

Another very significant advantage of using FSP to obtain your HIP is that we will make no charge for the work we carry out provided we are instructed to act in the sale of the property. Our standard fees for selling and buying houses and flats are extremely reasonable and the fact that we make no additional charge for providing your HIP means that we are likely to be able to provide a HIP more cheaply than you can get it anywhere else.  You will of course need to let us have a cheque for the EPC and the search fees but apart from that you will pay nothing.

Getting things moving

If you would like to discuss HIPs on a completely no-obligation basis with one of our specialist conveyancing solicitors all you need to do is ring our HIPs Hotline on 0118 951 6238 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. One of the component parts of the HIP is a Property Information Questionnaire which you will need to complete before the property can go on the market. To view this form click here.