HIPs for house sellers
What you need to know before you sell
If you're looking to sell a residential property in England or Wales, you'll almost definitely need to commission a Home Information Pack (HIP).
A HIP gives potential buyers basic information about your property - from planning and road building decisions, to proof that you own the property.
The law - what you need to do
When you sell a property, you have to arrange and pay for a HIP.
In fact, you have to commission a HIP before you put your property on the market. But don't worry - you can put your property on the market while you wait for your HIP to arrive.
Arranging your HIP
Searching for someone to prepare your HIP? We'd like to introduce you to Legal Marketing Services Ltd (LMS), one of the largest providers of HIPs in the UK.
It normally takes around two weeks for LMS to prepare a standard HIP. And you can use the LMS website (or call them) to check progress at any time.
Please make sure you read the important legal information
What's in your HIP?
By law, your HIP must contain the following information:
| HIP section | Description |
|---|---|
| Energy Performance Certificate | This tells the buyer about your home's energy efficiency, and sets out the property's environmental impact. It may also have advice on improving your property's rating. |
| Sale statement | Straightforward facts about the property, including the address, and whether it is freehold, leasehold or commonhold. |
| Standard searches | Information about the local land charges register relating to the property, as well as water and drainage searches. You'll also find other records held by the local authority, such as road building and planning decisions. |
| Evidence of title | Proof that you own the property - and in turn that you have the right to sell it. |
| Leasehold or commonhold documents | These are only included for leasehold and commonhold properties. |
| Index of contents | This lists all the documents in the HIP, and explain why any are missing. |
HIP extras
As well as the essential information, some HIPs contain 'authorised' documents. Your HIP doesn't have to have these - they're optional:
| HIP section | Description |
|---|---|
| Home Condition Report | This gives buyers and their lenders information about the physical condition of your property - information which they will be able to rely on.
Include a home condition report and you should reduce the risk of the purchase falling through. The report should reveal any problems early on, giving you the chance to fix them. |
| Legal summary | This outlines the legal content of the HIP, but isn't available when you arrange a HIP through NatWest. |
| Home use/content forms | Information on planning permissions, boundaries and related subjects.
This isn't available when you arrange your HIP through NatWest. |
| Other documents | Documents such as an Environmental report, which pinpoints any adverse environmental issues that may affect the property. |
Get in touch
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