The Little House Company Home Information Packs are available to order now, low pricedm reliable without risk on quality.
Unlike many estate agents we do not believe in asking you to sign any exclusive agreement for Home Information Pack (HIP) and your HIP is fully portable. It can be with you in a matter of days so that you comply with the law when selling your property.
Buying your HIP direct means that you (not the estate agent) owns the HIP and can use it with any other agent or private marketing. It will also be cheaper than the true hidden cost of an agent's 'free' HIP.
How long is a HIP valid for? 
The HIP is valid while the property is on the market continuously as there is no legal requirement to obtain a new hip or update any of the content, except to replace any predicted Energy Assessment with an actual EPC when this becomes available (new builds)
A property can be taken off the market for any reason and the HIP is not required to be updated if it is put back on the market within 1 year. Where the property is taken off the market because the seller has accepted an offer then, regardless of the length of time the property is off the market, the HIP does not have to be updated when the property is put back on the market so long as it is put back on the market within 28 days of that offer being withdrawn or its acceptance withdrawn by the seller.
Documents required before a property can be marketed
From the 6th April 2009 properties cannot be marketed without all the documentation available in the standard HIP.
The documents that must be included before a property can be marketed are:
- Energy Performance Certificate (These must be the first document in a Home Information Pack and must be attached to the estate agents property particulars)
- Index of Documents
- Title Documentation
- Property Information Questionnaire
- Local authority search
- Water search
- New Homes Warranty (new build/converted properties)
- Leasehold Document
- Index map search – unregistered land
Authorised documents, these documents can be included with your “Standard HIP”:
- Home Condition Report
- Home use form
- Home contents form
- Additional searches – there are a whole range of these which could be included
- Warranties, guarantees and insurance policies
- Copies of building regulations and planning applications
The Little House Company Home Information Packs
We provide a reliable and quick service for Home Information Packs and help you save money when buying a HIP. Our service is popular with those selling property because:
- Low Cost
- Packs Complete in 3-7 days
- Pay Online 24/7, Over the Phone, Cheque or Bank Transfer
- Nationwide Coverage
- Hip Code and AHIPP Registered
- Track your Hip online 24 Hours
- Fully Insured
- No Fuss
- You are kept informed of progress
- Professional service
Beware 'too good to be true' HIP providers The BBC's Watchdog recently covered a report on Home Information Packs and a company that consistently failed to deliver HIPs that had been paid for. The report highlights the importance of using a trusted, reliable HIPs provider rather than those that offer cheap HIPs. In tough market conditions it is easy to see why the cheapest provider might make sense but as the report shows, they can't always be relied on! Hints & Tips - Choose an established provider that has completed significant volumes of HIPs - Ensure your provider is a subscriber to the HIP Code
Free HIPS from an estate agents
Take great care, so-called 'free' Home Information Packs are ALWAYS subject to terms and conditions. Of course, it's not really 'free' at all, the cost of the HIP must be paid for (by you) at some point, usually by a higher commission rate on the property sale or a tie in clause, meaning that your agent 'owns' the HIP and you can't change to another agent if you need to.
Exemptions from Home Information Packs
A Home Information Pack is required to advertise any property for sale in England & Wales, with certain exemptions:
- Property not offered on the open market (e.g. direct sale to family member, neighbour, or friend)
- Non-residential property (i.e. shops or mixed commercial)
- Properties sold with sitting tenants
- Homes on the market before HIPS were introduced
From 1 October 2008, all properties advertised for sale must have an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate), which is included automatically in our HIPS, but an EPC-only can be ordered separately if the property is exempt from HIPS.
Energy Performance Certificates
An EPC must be made available for any home, free of charge, to a prospective buyer from the 1 October 2008. The requirement for an EPC is not dependent on marketing, but must be provided during any sale transaction 'at the earliest opportunity', or where any of the following events happens:
More about Energy Performance Certificates
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