HIPS
It is now a
statutory requirement for all homeowners in England and Wales to
order a Home Information Pack (HIP) before placing
their property on the market for sale with an estate agent. In
Scotland these are called Home Reports. HIPs or Home
Reports are designed to make the process of buying or
selling a property quicker and easier by providing key documents
when the property is first put on the market. Their purpose is to
enable a more transparent and efficient service, whilst reducing
the number of failed transactions.
Previously, most of the information included in the ‘legal pack’
was only produced after an offer had been made and accepted, so if
there were any problems these would often only come to light
several weeks later, by which time the parties to the sale may have
incurred expensive legal and survey fees, search fees, etc. This
would often cause frustration and delay, sometimes lead to the
terms of sale being renegotiated, buyers being ‘gazumped’, or the
sale collapsing altogether.
HIPs/Home Reports contain a collection of important documents
required when a property is bought or sold, including legal
searches, land registry documents and an energy performance
certificate (EPC) - intended to advise how energy efficient or
‘green’ a property is. These are compulsory documents for all
properties; leasehold properties will require some additional
information.
Other documents and reports may be included in HIPs - for example
an NHBC (New Homes Building Certificate); other guarantees,
warranties and searches; and a Home Condition Report.
The Benefits of Obtaining your HIP through Retirement
Homesearch:
We have the expertise and resources at hand to assemble your
HIP/Home Report to the highest standard, swiftly and
efficiently, ensuring that your property arrives on the market for
sale at the earliest opportunity.
As a consequence of our close working association with
Peverel Retirement - who manage all of the retirement
developments in our sales portfolio - we enjoy direct access to
their Legal Services team, which can accelerate the provision of
essential information for HIPs.
And, through our close ties with leading legal firms, we can even
introduce you to a solicitor to handle the conveyancing for you, at
competitive fees and on a guaranteed ‘no sale - no fee’ basis.
Unlike many high street estate agents, who offer a ‘free’ HIP to
clients in return for signing them up to an extended term of
engagement, often at an exaggerated fee, Retirement Homesearch
offers a totally transparent, competitive, ‘no strings attached’
service, as befits a market leader.
To find out more:
Contact our friendly and helpful sales team on 0845 880
5560 for properties in England and Wales, or 0141
2482846 for properties in Scotland. Alternatively, email
us at: enquiries@retirementhomesearch.co.uk