THE introduction of Home Information packs, or HIPs, last year, means that if you are interested in buying a house, it is now much easier to get hold of information about it - information which could make the difference between your deciding to put in an offer or making your mind up that this is not the right home for you.

Nearly all houses now on the market must have a HIP when they are offered for sale - it is up to the person selling the house to provide a HIP. So when you make an appointment to go and see a house, you should be able get a copy of the HIP before you see it.

The only houses that are exempt are brand new homes which have been built to comply with the most up-to-date building regulations.

People selling houses have been told they have to commission their HIP when they put the house up for sale so that it is ready when marketing begins - although as this is such a new process you may find that some sellers have not been able to get their HIP done yet.

Potential buyers have a right to a copy of the HIP and this should be provided within 14 days of request. Sellers are entitled to make a reasonable charge to cover copying and postage costs and may also refuse to provide a copy in certain limited cases.

The following documents are compulsory and must be included in a HIP:

• Home Information Pack Index. This tells you exactly what's in the pack.

• Energy Performance Certificate. This rates a house's energy efficiency and environmental impact. The tables look just like the ones you see on fridges and washing machines, and cover things like how good the house's insulation is, how efficient its heating system is, and how these can be improved. if you think the house you are interested in has a poor rating and you are concerned about the impact your lifestyle makes on the environment, or the amount of money the house may cost you to run, this provides you with important information.

• Sale statement. This explains who owns what in the house and what is included in the sale price - it is designed to end arguments between buyers and sellers over things like whether the cooker is included, and if they are leaving the light fittings.

• Standard searches. This covers all the relevant legal searches needed for a sale, including water and drainage supplies and any planning permissions in the area
• Evidence of title. These are the documents which prove the person selling the house really owns it.

• Additional information for leasehold and commonhold sales, where appropriate.

  It doesn't include a survey, so you may still want to have a surveyor look at the house's structure to make sure it is sound and to tell you if there is any area of the building which may need money spending on it in the future.

  Your mortgage company will almost certainly want a survey done before it will agree to lend money on a house.

3:40pm Monday 21st January 2008

Print

Email this