Review Ripon Article
Getting Hip With HIP's - Buying And Selling Your Home
Thursday 01 May
This month David Dow of Simon Crosfield & Co, demystifies the house selling process for you by explaining about HIP's - why you need one if you want to sell your house, and what should be in one if you are thinking of buying a house.
What exactly is a HIP?
From 14th December 2007 it has been illegal for you to put your house on the market for sale without providing a Home Information Pack or HIP as it is commonly known. Think of the HIP as a bundle of legal and technical information about your house. So when you offer it for sale you are offering more than just bricks and mortar, you are also saying that its yours to sell and it comes with lots of other things for buyers to be aware of.
Sellers have always had to give information out to buyers, so what's new about a HIP?
A key component of the HIP is the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which rates your home's energy efficiency by using graphs like those found on fridges and washing machines.
Why have HIPs been introduced?
The government has introduced HIPs in an attempt to speed up the house buying and selling process by providing all the necessary legal documents at the start of the process when you put your house on the market. HIPs were phased in from August and initially applied only to properties with four bedrooms or more but have now been extended to cover all residential properties.
What does a HIP contain?
The required documents that must be included in each HIP are:
An index (i.e. a list of the contents of the Pack)
An Energy Performance Certificate
A sale statement (summarises the terms of the sale)
Evidence of what lawyers call 'title' that is, evidence that the house is yours to sell
Standard searches (i.e. local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search)
Where appropriate, commonhold information (including a copy of the commonhold community statement)
Where appropriate, leasehold information (including a copy of the lease)
Where appropriate, a New Homes Warranty or a report on a home that is not physically complete.
Other authorised documents can also be included, such as a Home Condition Report, guarantees and warranties (for double glazing for example) or other searches.
Why should you choose Simon Crosfield & Co to provide your HIP?
HIPs contain a large amount of complex, legal information and as your local solicitors we are best placed to prepare your HIP. In rural areas like Ripon, the legal title to the land on which houses are built is often more complicated that in more urban areas. It really does make sense to have someone with local knowledge to put your HIP together.
At Simon Crosfield & Co we are confident that the HIP that we supply is the right solution for your next sale because it is:
Guaranteed compliant with HIP legislation Online preparation reduces delays and ensures that your HIP is prepared as quickly as possible Flexible, allowing inclusion of additional authorised items to assist you in marketing your property in conjunction with your estate agent.
We ensure that the HIP seamlessly links into the conveyancing process We are competitively priced!
Call Simon Crosfield & Co today, on 01765 692277, or email us at sc@crosfields-solicitors.co.uk and we will be happy to discuss how your HIP can be prepared quickly and efficiently.
2 Duck Hill, Ripon, HG4 1BL www.crosfields-solicitors.co.uk
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