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A Home Information Pack mustbe available for sale of homes. HIPs are available from the Pack Providers and there are many companies who produce the pack. Your Estate Agent will be able to put you in touch with a HIP Provider. If you have not employed an Estate Agent, we can put you in contact with a HIP Provider.

The HIP must contain -

An Index
A list of all pack documents, whether they are included, not applicable or to follow and with explanations.

Sale Statement
A simple statement of key terms regarding the sale

Land Registry Title and Plan
Recent Office Copy documents

Property Information Questionnaire
The Vendor must complete a PIQ to be included in the HIP. Two versions are available, 1 for new homes and 1 for previously occupied homes

Warranties
'New Property' Warranties which are already demanded for new homes must also be included in the pack and guarantees for any work you have had done eg rewiring, replacement windows etc which are still in the warranty period.

Local Authority and Drainage and Water Searches
Key Local Authority Searches are also required.

Leasehold and Commonhold Documents
Additional Documents are required for Leasehold and Commonhold Properties to ensure Purchasers are aware of specific rules and requirements relating to the home, and an

Energy Performance Certificate
This report provides an Energy Efficiency Rating and Environmental Impact Rating for the Property. Fuel cost and suggested improvement information is included in the report.

On 8 December 2009, the Minister for Housing, Margaret Beckett announced proposals to improve and simplify the consumer content of the Home Information Pack (HIP). The Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) has been designed to be easy for sellers to complete without professional help and will provide buyers with basic, useful information about a property that will help to inform their decision to view a property or make an offer.

An Energy Performance Certificate will show how your property compares with another in the way it uses energy. An Accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) is qualified to measure your home’s wall and roof areas, windows and doors and together with thermal values of all these elements and heating and lighting details etc, produce an Energy Performance Certificate to include in the HIP Pack. The certificate will normally also suggest improvements that can be made to the property that will reduce CO2 emissions and also the cost of buying that energy

The way the certificate is used could suggest to the prospective buyer, and the seller, improvements that could be made to the property to save energy and therefore running costs, or used by the purchaser to compare with another similar property.

Of course, nothing might also be done!