Home Information Pack Advice

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Home Information Pack?
A Home Information Pack (HIP) is a set of documents which was previously largely compiled by the buyers solicitor but which now the Government legally requires the seller to supply. It gives the potential buyer key information about the property for sale including the innovation of an Energy Performance Certificate a measure designed to assist in the fight against global warming.

Is a HIP compulsory?
Yes, it has been mandatory for all properties since 14 December 2007. It is no longer possible to market a residential property until a HIP has been commissioned. You can be fined £200 a day for every day that your house is for sale if you do not have one.

What will a HIP cost me?
With My-HIP-Plus only £239 and if you allow £80 for the value of the free advertisement and ebook, our charge is equivalent to £159 for a freehold house. HIPs alone can cost as much as £600 through an estate agent and are usually not portable under their small print if you wish to change agents. You would then have to commission another HIP at a further inflated cost, not an attractive proposition! With credit/debit card or even deferred payment of your HIP from My-HIP-Plus you need have no upfront payments either.

When can I put my property on the market?
As soon as you have ordered your HIP from My-HIP-Plus you will be sent a Property Information Questionnaire and we will instruct a Domestic Energy Assessor to visit your home by appointment in order to do a survey. We will load the Land Registry title documents and complete the Sales Statement. The DEA will send a report to the HIP usually within 24 hours. You and any agent or solicitor you have provided emails for will be informed and you may market your property without further delay. 

How long will it take before I get my HIP?
On average around 10 working days, however this is dependent on how quickly the search documents are returned from the local authority, search agent and/or water companies. You may find that your HIP is completed within seven working days or up to fourteen. In exceptional circumstances it may take 28 days or longer. We continuously monitor progress so you get your HIP as soon as possible.

Do I need a printed copy of my HIP?
No, once your HIP is complete we will email you all of the component documents which you can then forward onto prospective buyers and/or estate agents. For an additional charge we can supply you with a colour printed and professionally bound hard copy, this will be posted to you first class in addition to having your electronic version emailed to you.

How long will my pack last for?
While the property is on the market, there is no need to update the Home Information Pack. If the sale of your property stops and then starts again, you would normally be required to assemble a new Pack and to update those documents which have become out of date. You can carry on using the same HIP if the marketing of the property stopped because an offer was accepted, and if marketing restarted because the sale had fallen through, provided that remarketing starts within one year of the date when marketing first began or, if later, within 28 days of the sale falling through. 

What if I am selling my property privately?
If you are marketing your property, even if it's just by putting a 'for sale' sign in the window, you need a Pack. Sales where no marketing takes place (e.g. to a member of the family) won't need a Pack.

What if my property is not registered at the Land Registry?
We will perform what is known as a 'Search of the Index Map (SIM) with the Land Registry to confirm that this is the case, we will then contact you with a view to locating documents which confirm the legal ownership of the property (your mortgage lenders can usually provide the necessary documentation). There may be an additional charge if the property is not registered.

Home Information Pack (HIP) Advisory, Consultancy and Provider