HIPS

What is a HIP?

Have you heard of HIPS?

Your estate agent will tell you about HIPS. They'll cost from about £300 and you can either organise your own or ask your estate agent what they charge.

Compulsory documents include:

* Home Information Pack Index
* Energy Performance Certificate
* Sale statement
* Standard searches
* Evidence of title
* Additional information for leasehold and commonhold sales, where appropriate.
* A HIP for a newly built home must have a certificate (or interim certificate) showing the rating that the home has received in respect of the Code for Sustainable Homes or a nil-rated certificate showing that the home has only been designed to meet current Building Regulations.

Optional documents in a HIP include:

* Home Condition Report - read about the benefits
* Legal summary
* Home use/contents forms
* Other documents (including mining search, searches cover rights of way, ground stability and actual or potential environmental hazards such as flooding and contaminated land. Plus include guarantees and warranties for work already carried out on their homes. eg: FENSA, CIGA etc)
* Additional information for leasehold and commonhold sales, where appropriate

The official government website about Home information packs gives you more info on HIPS.
http://www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/

Dig out your guarantees

Got double glazing? Got cavity wall insulation? Do you have the certificates you got given when they were done? Dig them out - they'll be useful when you're selling your home - you can put copies of them in the HIP.

If you don't have the certificates your buyers solicitor might ask for an indemnity certificate which can cost you money.