The law now requires homesellers to have a home information pack HIP when selling your house. From 14th December you can have one in the pipe line but that wouldn’t impress me as a buyer. From June you will have to have one from when you start marketing so here are some quick tips.
Quick Tips For Home Information Packs
- Make the HIP part of your sales process so it should be professional and give confidence.
- Consider a strong brand to supply the HIP – a recognised name would be more appropriate than ‘Forced to do it flashy Hip Co Ltd’
- If your estate agent or mortgage provider offers a ‘free Hip’ make sure you understand all the terms and get out clauses. There are so many ups and downs with house sales it is best to be prepared
- Also be prepared for suppliers to use the Hip to advertise there services with logos etc.
- Make sure the Hip is ready and available for your first potential sale or visitor
- Shop around £300 seems to be a mid price
- Check the provider adheres to the Hip Code of Practice eg by being a member of an appropriate (insured) professional body or the Association Of Hip Providers.
Home Condition Survey HCS
Most buyers are more interested in the ‘Home Condition’ and this report isn’t compulsory so probably won’t be provided. This leaves buyers to arrange there own survey but when they have invested money in this process they get progressively committed to the purchase.
When you buy a property you will want a bespoke survey that is specific to your premises to cover general maintenance, subsidence, flooding and old damage amongst other items so a generic HCS probably won’t suffice anyway.
- Home Information packs at gov.uk
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[...] the introduction of government HIPS, buying a house can still take a long time. This leaves open the possibility of being gazumped - [...]
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