Home Information Packs (HIPS) : FWD Law

There has been a lot of press comment about the new HIP (home information Packs) recently with a considerable amount of scare mongering by some estate agents. Really the cost of a HIP (£300 - £400) should not influence your choice of agents at all. After all they will be charging a lot more than this for their services generally!.

Is there any benefit to having a HIP (Home Information Pack)?

Well the honest answer is really only to the people who have trained as energy inspectors as a completely new industry has been created. It is fair to say that most people are concerned about energy efficiency and would like to have information but most of the items covered in an energy report are easily discoverable in any event – you can see whether a loft has been insulated – you can see whether or not a boiler is new or old, you can ask when it was last serviced and you can make your own decision as to whether you want to change to a more energy efficient one!

The rest of the HIP pack will only provide the information your solicitor would give you anyway and does not really help or speed up the process of buying and selling. This is dictated by when people can get a mortgage offer, actually want to move. And balancing up all the pieces of the sale and purchase chain

So a good thing or a bad thing?

Really a bit of a non event. One final piece of advice. The cost of a HIP is small – estate agents commissions are large so do not enter into any credit agreement for the purchase of a HIP when you are selling your property – your estate agent should provide one as part of their service and not charge you until the property is sold unless of course you take it off the market or change agents!

Charles Williams

fwdlaw solicitors provide HIP (Home Information Packs) and conveyancing services throughout the UK

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