With recent changes, could someone please update on what surveys have to be included in the home information packs?

Home Information Pack or HIP as it's often referred to is a portfolio of documents pertaining to the property on sale. The 'bright idea' behind it was to make the sale/purchase process a lot quicker. Whether it's working two years since its introduction, is another matter... Anyway, some documents in a HIP are compulsory some are optional. Compulsory ones are as follows: index, Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) - new from 6 April 2009 gives you brief details about the property, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), local and drainage searches, info about the title of the property (who owns it, etc), sale statement outlinding basic information like address, type of property, details of sale (vacant, with tenant, etc). HIP for a Leasehold property will also include a copy of the lease itself.

I've heard about PEA report that also needs to be included. What is this, please?

It's a pre-Energy Performance Certificate. Predicted Energy Assessment is prepared for the properties that are in the process of building. Once they've been constructed PEA is replaced by EPC.

What about guarantees that the seller may have for the works undertaken at the property? Are these compulsory too?

Various guarantees and warranties could be quite useful. However, dont think these are compulsory as you cannot always transfer them to the new owner.

Surely if the quality/quantity of work done to the property is reflected in the purchase price, seller would be in his/her right to expect to have guarantees available for all the work undertaken.

Otherwise you can maybe try and negotiate the sale price a bit.

All HIPs must include a Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) which will provide some basic information about the property.From 6 April 2009 important changes are being introduced, both to the content of the Home Information Packs and to make them available at the first point a property is marketed.Properties which were first marketed before the HIP regulations came into effect will still not require a HIP although they do now require an Energy Perfomance Certificate. The HIP regulations were brought in progressively for different sizes of previously-owned property during 2007 and for new homes in April 2008.In relation to leasehold properties, the PIQ will include a summary of things such as rent and service charge and as a result the requirement to include certain leasehold documents in the HIP (such as service charge accounts) which had previously been delayed has now been dropped.



compensation claims

This post has been edited by jonymahnty: 14.12.2009, 12:52

There are rumours that HIPs will be abolished soon as many view them useless. I was just wondering what you guys think about it.