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THE WHITE & SONS PROPOSITION
We will organise and take responsibility for the H.I.P. We have our own Energy Inspector (you may have heard of a severe shortage of qualified inspectors). We can also help to explain legal documents and search results initially.
In short there really is little that you need to do-leave it to us.
NOTE The H.C.R. (Home Condition Report) is no longer a requirement.
More detailed information follows:-
From 1st August 2007, the law required that the sellers of residential property or their estate agents must have commissioned a H.I.P. before putting their homes up for sale. Provided that there is evidence that a H.I.P. and EPC have been commissioned full marketing can take place. The EPC will, however have to be in place prior to exchange of contracts. The regulations only apply to homes that commenced being marketed after 1st August. Any property on the market before 1st August 2007 can be marketed without a H.I.P. until further notice.
From December 14th 2007 the regulations apply to all residential properties irrespective of size.
An explanation of the basic requirements for the H.I.P. follows. For the time being at least the H.I.P. is in a much reduced form from the original proposals and should cause very little disturbance to the market.
In practice a clients estate agent or solicitor will take responsibility for obtaining the H.I.P. (Although a householder may commission his own H.I.P.) which should be available within a very short period – probably 3-7 days in the majority of cases.
The cost for the basic H.I.P. will vary but should usually be between £300-£400.
White & Sons will take full responsibility for providing the HIP and ensuring that the contents comply with current legislation.
Mandatory H.I.P. Contents – as at December 2007:
1) Index of H.I.P. contents
2) Energy Performance Certificate (see explanation) or Interim or Predicted Certificate if building not built or incomplete.
3) Sale Statement (Vendor’s address and property being sold)
PROOF OF TITLE
4a) If freehold, Land Registry certificate plan and index or if unregistered, sufficient evidence of ownership to deduce title (ie. deeds).
4b) If leasehold – a copy of the lease. Note: If this is not available from the vendor an additional charge of £25 will be levied to access this information from the Land Registry to cover their additional charges.
5) A local authority search
Note:
These provisions are subject to change and some elements are provisional until June 2008.
Non mandatory but authorised H.I.P. documents:
These items may be placed in the H.I.P. but are not a requirement:
a) Home Condition Report – a form of survey with a graded assessment of its condition.
b) Sellers information form giving details of what is being sold with the property and information about works carried out, guarantees, etc.
c) A description of the property, maps, plans, etc.
d) An explanation of the title, boundaries, rights of way, etc.
e) Further information that may affect the property.
f) A summary and explanation of the H.I.P. documents including legal advice.
White & Sons can offer a Platinum H.I.P. including the non-mandatory items outlined above if requested. – ask for details.
Please note:
This is a brief guide prepared by White & Sons and not a definitive statement of the law.
For more detailed advice, contact your legal adviser or see the government website at: www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk.
What is an E.P.C. (Energy Performance Certificate)
A report is carried out on your home by a qualified energy performance inspector. He will access the energy efficiency of your home with regard to insulation, heating efficiency, double glazing etc. Your home will then be graded A-G and the results will be shown eg:-
The governments intention is that this will enable purchasers to make a more informed choice when buying, but our experience so far would indicate that purchasers are still choosing homes in the traditional way by desirability, space and location.
Updated 28/03/08