Home Information Packs
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It now appears that Home Information Packs are here to stay despite best advice from right across the industry. However, we can take the aggravation out of preparing the HIPs for our Clients. 
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Christopher Wise
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Packs are now required prior to marketing for the sale of most residential properties. The cost of a basic Home Information Pack from AL&H is £340.00 Inc VAT.
Sellers' frequently asked questions
When do I have to provide a HIP?
Before residential properties can be marketed for sale, the Seller needs to have arranged for a Home Information Pack (HIP) to be prepared. In order that Estate Agents can market a property, a basic HIP consisting of Sale Index, Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ), Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), Sale Statement and Title information, needs to be in place and sent to them. Any outstanding mandatory documents can be added later, but be added within 28 days of the institution of the HIP.
What goes in a HIP?
A HIP includes documents that are required when homes are bought and sold. Some documents are mandatory and others optional.
Sellers can obtain HIPs from Solicitors, Estate Agents, separate pack providers, or do it themselves. Using a pack supplied by a Solicitor provides peace of mind and allows the Seller to share or transfer the property between Estate Agents if necessary, whereas a HIP supplied by an Estate Agent is often branded and may not be acceptable to other Agents.
No - only in England and Wales
Once all the required documents are included in the HIP, Sellers do not have to update the pack unless they receive a new version of a document. If a Seller decides to remove their property from the market, they can put it back on the market with the same HIP as long as this happens within 12 months of the date when the property was first put up for sale. EPCs are valid for up to 3 years, but searches and proof of Title documents can not be more than 3 months old when marketing starts.
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.
Electrical certificates (past or present) are not a required component of the Pack, but can be included if the seller has them.
Don't worry - guarantees aren't a required component of the Pack, but can be included if you have them.
A Home Condition Report could help you sell your property more quickly if it shows that it is in good condition, or if it highlights any problems straight away for potential buyers.
As long as your home has been continuously marketed then no, you will not need to commission a HIP. However, if there was a break of at least 28 days, then you would need to commission one.
How will I pay for the Pack?
This depends on the agreement between the seller and the compiler of the Pack. Some examples of the ways that Packs might be paid for are as follows:
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Seller pays for the Pack upfront from the Solicitor, Estate Agent, or other Pack provider.
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Seller compiles the Pack and pays each organisation for the relevant component (e.g. the Land Registry for the title document)
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Estate Agent offers the Pack to the Seller on a 'no sale, no fee' basis, where the cost of the Pack could be included in the Agent's commission
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Estate Agent offers the Pack to the Seller on a 'buy now, pay on completion' basis, which is usually a credit agreement for three or six months between the Seller and the organisation compiling the pack.
What is an AL&H Pack going to cost me?
The cost of our Home Information Packs for the Horsham, Chichester, Arun and Worthing areas, for a registered freehold property is £340.00 Inc VAT, and for a registered leasehold property is £400.00 Inc VAT. If, however, the property is unregistered or outside those areas, then we would need to provide you with a specific quote.
If you visit the Land Registry's website, enter your address and postcode and click the search button, you should be able to see whether the property is registered or not. The Link to the Land Registry site is http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/wps/portal/Property Search
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