You cannot dream about marketing a property without a Home Information Pack in the UK. If you find that the potential buyers are interested to pay for the HIP copies and are also eligible for buying the property, make sure you provide the buyer’s copies of the HIP.
According to the Housing Act 2004, a prospective buyer does not deserve a copy of the HIP only if:
He/She is not really interested in the property and is only demanding the HIP out of curiosity.
He/She is not financially secure enough for purchasing the property and is interested to go for an ‘in principle’ mortgage.
He/She is not the person to whom you would like to sell your property; this requires you not to make any discrimination on the grounds of sex, race or disability.
All you need to know about self-compilation
Even if you have an estate agent, you can compile the HIP yourself. Remember that the HIP contains some ‘optional’ documents and some ‘compulsory’ documents. However, you will be required to include some extra documents in the information pack for the leasehold and commonhold properties. Ensure that you obtain all the documents from the proper sources and bodies.
For self-compiling the HIP, you need to contact a conveyancer or a solicitor for the different searches and also for getting the legal documents. A personal search company can also help you get your job done. You can even approach the local bodies, such as the Land Registry for help in self-compilation. Also, call a Home Inspector or a registered Domestic Energy Assessor for Energy Efficiency Rating.
Compilation of the Compulsory Documents
The information pack’s contents are to be listed in the HIP index. For help in this matter, you can get an Index form downloaded from the Internet. You can also obtain a sale statement from the website.
In case, you are looking for both the Energy Performance Certificate and a Home Condition Report (HCR), you require a Home Inspector (HI), as he/she is certified for issuing both the documents. However, for obtaining only the EPC, you just need to obtain a DEA.
Approach the Land Registry office for the evidence of the title. When your home is registered, the title plan and the register copies offer evidence of title. This will require you to pay a fee for the documents. In the event of your home not being registered, an official result needs to be produced of a search of the index map (SIM). This can also be derived from the Land Registry office.
Compiling Optional Documents
Home Condition Report is the most crucial document among the Optional Documents that finds a place in Home Information Pack. The service of Home Inspector can be employed to obtain Home Condition Report (HCR). To make your task easier, Home-contents and Home-use forms can be downloaded from the Internet. If you desire to add some relevant search material, you can consult appropriate authorities or look for personal searches. Besides these, you can also add guarantee and warranty related to property.
The well-packed Home Information Pack conveys essential information, which attracts a large number of buyers and at the same time helps seller to establish his credibility.