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We are solicitors in London WC2 UK

Our lawyers advise on all aspects of residential property conveyancing including Home Information Packs (HIPs)

Property

HIPS - Home Information Packs

The Government's Home Information Pack Regulations are now compulsory. HIPs were originally due to come into force on 1 June 2007. The start date was put back to 1 August and only affects houses of four bedrooms or more. House of three bedrooms or more will be brought into the scheme from 10 September, by which time it is hoped that more energy assessors will have become qualified.

As the deadline approached, the only other concession made by the Government was to allow properties to be marketed without waiting for the Home Information Pack to arrive. All its elements, however, must be commissioned before property marketing begins.

HIPS must include certain "required" documents and may include other "authorised" documents.

The required documents are:

• index (i.e. a list of the contents of the Pack)

• A sale statement (summarising the terms of sale)

• Evidence of title

• Standard searches (i.e. local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search)

• An Energy Performance Certificate

• 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

The authorised documents include:

• A Home Condition Report

• Guarantees and warranties

• Other searches

The contentious Home Condition Report is now an "authorised" document. The Government says of them that "it strongly believes that these are likely to prove valuable to both sellers and buyers".

Apart from the Energy Performance Certificate, most of this is prepared anyway by any competent conveyancing lawyer. We have been working like this for our clients for many years. If anything good comes out of the HIPs fiasco, it may be that vendors will recognise the benefits of getting their papers in order well before the first would-be buyer appears.

For more details about Home Information Packs or any other aspect of buying and selling Residential Property contact Felix Appelbe BSc. Estate Management. FRSA on 020 7242 7000 or use the Contact Request Form.