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This fact sheet will give you some basic information about Home Information Packs. You can also listen to it online or download it onto an MP3 player.

Please be aware that this is not legal advice and if you are concerned about any of the issues mentioned you should speak to a lawyer.

You can contact Russell Jones & Walker's solicitors at enquiries@rjw.co.uk or call our freephone number 0800 916 9065.

• What is a Home Information Pack?
• What is in a HIP?
• What else might be in the pack?
• Where do I get a HIP?
• How much will it cost?
• How long will a pack last for?
• Are there any situations where I wouldn't need a HIP to sell a property?
• If I am interested in a house, when do I get a copy of the pack?
• What do I do if I have a complaint?
• Where can I get more information?

What is a Home Information Pack?

A Home Information Pack, or HIP, is a set of documents providing information about a property for a sale.

From 14 December 2007, you will need a home information pack if you are marketing your home for sale.

What is in a HIP?

There are some documents that must be in a HIP, these include:

• An index, explaining what�??s in the pack
• An energy performance certificate, rating the energy efficiency and environmental impact of the house on a scale from A to G
• A sale statement, with basic details like the address and whether it�??s freehold, leasehold or commonhold
• Standard searches, such as local authority and water and drainage searches
• Evidence of the Title, which proves you own the property and have the right to sell it
• Information about leasehold and commonhold if relevant, such as a copy of the lease, details about service charges and any rules or regulations.

What else might be in the pack?

Packs might also include:

• A home condition report, containing information about the physical condition of the property
• A legal summary explaining the documents in the pack
• Home use and contents form, with details about boundaries, sharing with neighbours and fixtures and fittings.

If you are selling a house, it is up to you whether you include these or not.

Where do I get a HIP?

The most obvious place to get a HIP will be from your estate agent. But you don�??t have to. You might also be able to get one from your mortgage lender, your solicitor or conveyancer, or you can put it together yourself.

How much will it cost?

From 1 August 2007, you have needed a HIP if you are selling a home with four bedrooms or more. From 10 September 2007, this was extended to three-bedroom houses.

There is no fixed cost, but most HIPs will probably cost between £300 and £400. Apart from the new energy performance certificates, most of this cost exists already when you are moving house. The difference is it is now the seller, not the buyer, who will pay for it.

You might have to pay for it up front, but if you get it from your estate agent, you will probably pay for it once you've sold your house.

If you are a buyer, the pack won't cost you anything, although the seller can charge you for copying and posting the pack to you.

How long will a pack last for?

While your house is on the market, you won't need to update the HIP. If the sale of your house stops and then starts again, you will normally have to put together a new pack to ensure all the documents are up to date. But you can carry on using the same one if you start marketing your house again within one year.

Are there any situations where I wouldn�??t need a HIP to sell a property?

There are some sales where you won't need a HIP, these include:

• Properties where there is no marketing, for example selling to member of your family
• Non-residential properties
• Seasonal and holiday accommodation
• Mixed sales, for example a shop with a flat
• Right to buy and similar sales
• Properties already on the market before the start date for HIPs
• New-built homes

If I am interested in a house, when do I get a copy of the pack?

You should get a copy of the pack within 14 days of asking for it. Sellers can only refuse if they believe:

• You can't afford the house
• You're not really interested in buying
• They wouldn�??t want to sell their house to you (but they can�??t discriminate against you because of your race, sex, disability, sexuality, religion or belief).

You should speak to your local authority trading standards department if you think the seller has refused to give you a pack unlawfully.

What do I do if I have a complaint?

All estate agents in England and Wales have to belong to a redress scheme for complaints to do with home information packs. There are two schemes run by the Ombudsman for Estate Agents and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

There are also schemes for domestic energy assessors (who prepare the energy performance certificates) and home inspectors (who prepare home condition reports).

Where can I get more information?

You can find out more from the government website www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk.