Government changes to legislation have meant that as from 1 August 2007 before a home is offered for sale, a Home Information Pack (HIP, also called a Home Seller’s Pack) must be prepared by or for the Seller.  The Seller’s packs are now applicable to all properties with one bedroom or more.  These points should be noted when you come to sell your property.

·         If you own a property with one or two bedrooms and have marketed that property from 14 December 2007 onwards, you would need to provide the purchaser with a HIP;

·         If you own a property with three bedrooms and have marketed the property from 10 September 2007 onwards you would also need to provide the purchaser with a HIP;

·         The HIP contains an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).  The Government has recruited a number of domestic energy assessors to determine whether our homes are energy efficient.  The Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) will have been trained and qualified and will have received a Diploma in Domestic Energy Assessment and/or a Diploma in Home Inspection (HI);

·         The Energy Performance Certificate informs the prospective purchaser about the energy performance of the Seller’s house.  The domestic energy assessor will give the property a rating between A and G based on inspections, measuring, assessing and then put together an Energy Performance Certificate;

·         The Home Information Pack Regulations 2006 stipulate that a number of documents are compulsory including Home Information Pack Index, Energy Performance Certificate, sales statement, standard searches and evidence of Title.  Home Condition Reports are prepared by Home Inspectors and are an important authorised document in the Home Information Pack. 

·         Optional documents are the legal summary and home use/contents form 274.

·         The Government is hoping that the Home Information Packs and Energy Performance Certificates will cut costs and delays when buying a property.  Sellers and Buyers consistently complain that the conveyancing system lacks speed and leads to unnecessary expense, particularly when Buyers have spent money on searches, mortgage fees, etc and Sellers have decided to abort the process in favour of a better offer;

·         The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) is confident that the benefits of HIPs in the long run will be to greatly reduce the prospect of the sale of a property collapsing.  The Association hopes that the transaction will be speeded up thus making it less stressful for both Buyers and Sellers.

For further information regarding any issues arising from this article, please either telephone Corinne Dias, a Property Solicitor at Rollingsons Solicitors on 0207 611 4848 or email her at cdias@rollingsons.co.uk .