Changes in legislation mean every seller needs a Home Information Pack (HIP) in order to market their home. The HIP needs to include:

Index
Statement of sale
Evidence of Title
Standard Searches
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) – the graph which will appear on our property details.

At present – Autumn 2008 – the pack only needs to be commissioned in order to market a property but at some stage it will not be permitted to do any marketing until a HIP is physically produced! Owing to the complex nature of the HIP and its contents we recommend that a Local Solicitor prepare and produce the pack for our clients. We DO NOT provide HIP’s ourselves. We recommend two independent Solicitors within St Albans who will produce HIP’s for our clients. This means

• Your contract for the HIP is with a solicitor who is qualified to produce and advise on the pack (we carry all the paperwork to commission a HIP)
• The HIP is produced by the Solicitor and then hosted by us on our web site.
• Importantly, should we fail to sell the house, your HIP is YOURS and fully portable! Unlike some corporate estate agencies who are wooing their clients with ‘free’ HIPs that are ‘not free’ - if you try and cancel the agency agreement you get hit with a big bill – we hear of a £500 surcharge being sought by one corporate firm!

The cost of a HIP is at present from just £230, payable at time of marketing.

With regard to the Energy Performance Certificate, we have a fully trained and qualified Domestic Energy Assessor within this firm and so are uniquely placed to advise on the theory and practical impact of the ‘energy assessment’ on your property.

The HIP is an important part of the legal documentation to sell your home, and advice should only come from PROFESSIONALLY QUALIFIED sources!
As always, call us for free, independent advice! 01727 844330