ENERGY SURVEYS

NORTH EAST

HIPs - Frequently Asked Questions...

Q. What exactly is a HIP (Home Information Pack)?
A. It is a document containing vital information on the property to be sold. This can be broken down into three main areas: 1) The Legal Pack, to include Land Registry Title and Plan; 2) Legal searches (Local Authority, water, drainage, etc) and 3) Energy Performance Certificate.

Q. Where do I get a HIP from?
A. Your estate agent, conveyancer, or mortgage broker can arrange one, or better still you could arrange one direct with an Independent HIP provider such as Energy Surveys North East, which would guarantee an efficient, personal and cost effective service.

Q. What is an energy performance certificate?
A. Similar to the energy saving label found on home appliances, each property will be assessed on a scale from A (best) to G (worst). It is a compulsory part of the Home Information Pack and can only be provided by a fully accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA)

Q. Can it be paid for at completion?
A. Depends on whom you buy it from, in most cases, yes.

Q. Isn’t this extra hassle going to slow down the selling process?
A. No, it has been designed to speed up the property buying process.

Q. Who has a copy of this information?
A. The HIP is available as an electronic document and bound copies can be ordered.

Q. Liability? Is it the provider who is liable?
A. The competent provider is liable for any misinformation within the pack. For example, search provider for searches, DEAs for the Energy Performance Certificate and seller for property information form, etc.

Q. Is there no legal opinion within the Home Information Pack?
A. There is no requirement or authorisation to include in the pack a legal assessment of the pack contents, so this isn’t something that has to be included in the Pack, but there’s nothing to prevent such assessments being provided alongside it.

 

To view a sample HIP please click here