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New rules
will govern house buying and selling in the UK from August 2007, house
buyers now have the opportunity to view details of the home sellers
property as soon as it is placed on the market.
Any property
transaction must be carried out with a valid HIP (Home Information Pack)
in place. The information provided here serves as a guide to what
documents the buyer should receive from the home seller in order to make
an informed decision should they choose to make an offer on the property.
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The UK
Government has stated that Home Packs for a home seller is required by law
as from 1st August 2007. This website provides further information on what
is required to be produced by the house seller under the scheme.
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The seller is
responsible for the production of all the required documents to sell a
house upfront (previously this sort of information would have the
responsibility of the buyer, if they made an offer on a property), the
idea is to "speed up" sales by having the necessary
documentation as soon as the house goes on the market.
The seller
can obtain a HIP in a number of ways;
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1. The acting estate agent or property solicitor can compile a complete
pack for the client in-house, usually for a fee.
2. The
homeowner can contact an independent Home Pack provider to compile the
pack (these are normally national companies found on the internet - see
links below), again this will incur a fee.
3. The
homeowner may consider a DIY "do-it-yourself" option, whereby
the information for the home pack is gathered by the seller using
independent means, this may be cheaper than a normal HIP. (See also - Home
Information Packs Advice)
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The house
seller must pay the costs of a HIP, any house buyer can obtain a copy of
the documents from the sellers agent for free. This allows the potential
buyer to make an informed decision prior to making an offer on the
property.
There is a
register of qualified, accredited independent home inspectors for energy
assessment (DEA's) and (Hi's) by UK region in our Home
Inspector Directory. Frequently asked questions (Faqs) regarding
pack contents include; expiry dates for searches, and certificates which
comprise part of the contents for information packs. Some questions and
answers regarding home packs for homeowners are on this website. See also Site
Map.
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For an
understanding of the role of a DEA and energy assessments see also EPC's
and Home Inspection Reports
For an
understanding of "how to improve my energy rating" regarding EPCs, (useful advice before an inspector visits your property) - see also
Free Energy Saving Tips
& Advice
Further
reading for the home buyer includes:
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The
following links provide can help to locate more
providers of Hips. |
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