Home Information Packs

HIP’s are here to help you and I too make sure we are not going to buy a white elephant; if it has a hip its hip. By law, anybody who is selling a home with 4 bedrooms needs to have a HIP. From the 10th of September anyone selling a 3 bedroom home will also need one

What’s in a HIP

There are four main areas of a HIP

Energy Performance Certificate

Energy Performance Certificates tell you how:

• Energy efficient a home is
• The impact the home has on the environment

The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings. The scale is A to G. A is good, G is bad

The Certificate includes recommendations on how to improve the home's energy efficiency to save you money and help the environment.

Sale Statement

The sale statement should provide some basic information about the property, including:

• The address of the property being sold
• Whether the property is freehold, leasehold or commonhold
• Whether the property is registered or unregistered
• Whether or not the property is being sold with vacant possession

Standard Searches

Search of the local land charges register relating to the property being sold; you will receive an official search certificate.

Other records held by the local authority, such as planning decisions and road building proposals. Plus the provision of drainage and water services to the property.

Evidence of Title

Prove that the seller owns the property and has the right to sell it. Where the property being sold is registered, available from the Land Registry must be included in the Pack and consist of:

For registered property official copies of the individual register (made up of a property register, proprietorship register and, typically, a charges register), plus an official copy of the title plan.

For a commonhold interest, official copies of the register and title plan should be produced for both the unit and common parts.

For unregistered land, the Pack must include copies of a certificate of an official search of the index map (obtained from the Land Registry), and those documents that the seller intends to rely on to provide evidence of title to the property, and thus the right to sell it.

Find yourself a HIP Man

For information on where you can find a HIP man or her, see our Find yourself a HIP man page.

Related Links

Full information can be found on the official Home Information Pack website and Direct Gov website