Home Information Packs (HIPs)

Home Information Packs become a compulsory part of selling a home from June 1st 2007

Why have HIPs been introduced?

The government is introducing HIPs in an attempt to speed up the home buying and selling process by providing all the necessary legal documents at the start of the process when you put your house on the market.

What does a HIP contain?

The required documents that must be included in each HIP are:

• An index (i.e. a list of the contents of the Pack)
• An Energy Performance Certificate
• A sale statement (summarising the terms of the sale)
• Evidence of title
• Standard searches (i.e. local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search)
• Where appropriate, commonhold information (including a copy of the commonhold community statement)
• Where appropriate, leasehold information (including a copy of the lease, information on service charges and insurance)
• Where appropriate, a New Homes Warranty
• Where appropriate, a report on a home that is not physically complete
• A Home Condition Report (on a voluntary basis)

Other authorised documents can also be included, such as guarantees and warranties or other searches.

Why should you choose Woolf Simmonds to produce your HIP?

HIPs contain a large amount of complex, legal information, and solicitors are best placed to prepare and interpret these packs.

At Woolf Simmonds, we can provide you with the Law Society’s Home Information Pack. The Law Society’s HIP is a premium pack, backed by the service you expect from our team here at Woolf Simmonds. The Law Society HIP is

• guaranteed compliant with HIP legislation
• prepared online, reducing delays and ensuring the pack is prepared as quickly as possible
• flexible, allowing inclusion of additional authorised items to assist you in marketing your property
• the Law Society branding offers the buyer’s solicitor further reassurance
• competitively priced

We’ll complete a HIP for you as quickly as possible, and can provide it in a range of formats, suited to how you want to market your home.