These are the key changes to HIPs you need to know about if you're thinking of selling your house or flat in Chiswick:
- The temporary first day marketing exemption will be removed, which means that a HIP must be available on the first day a property is marketed
- A Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ), completed by the seller, must be included in the HIP, and
- The end of the use of insurance to cover missing data in personal searches.
Ending of temporary first day marketing exemption
On 6 April 2009 the temporary first day marketing exemption will expire, meaning that from this date it will be unlawful for the marketing of a property to begin unless a HIP is available. From this date all the required HIP documents must be commissioned and paid for, or arrangements for payment made. The following documents are a minimum requirement before marketing can begin:
• Index
• Property Information Questionnaire
• Energy Performance Certificate or Predicted Energy Assessment
• Sustainability Certificate (new homes only)
• Sale Statement
• Land Registry Documents.
All other required documents e.g. local property searches, lease (where applicable) should be added to the HIP as soon as they are available and must be included in the Pack within 28 days of the first point of marketing.
The order of the Pack documents must now follow the list above up to the Sustainability Certificate (if applicable) from which point the documents can be placed in any sequence.
So what does this mean for homeowners?
Sellers need to choose an estate agent who has made the necessary changes to their working practices and systems, particularly the mechanism, e.g. the use of property particulars, and timing by which the marketing of a particular property can begin.
Chiswick estate agents Oliver Finn use only an IPPA accredited HIP provider with extensive experience of properties in W4. Sometimes homeowners get drawn in by the promises of cheap online HIP providers that operate nationally says Christian Harper: "Our service costs £350 which has proven to be the best value if not the cheapest quote. You can get a HIP for less but the many horror stories you read in the press proves you get what you pay for.“
“Homeowners can of course go with their own HIP provider but be it on their own head. We prefer to stick with a small supplier who knows the area inside out, and who can handle the work load and deliver with quality.”
"Our Home Information Pack provider is known to us personally, has done a good job for our clients in the past, and can be trusted with a set of keys.
Two further articles will deal with the other two changes to HIPs:
1) Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ), completed by the seller, must be included in the HIP, and 2) the end of the use of insurance to cover missing data in personal searches.
Government document on key changes to Home Information Packs from 6th April.
