About HIP's

Home Information Packs

 

The Full HIP

At Cumbrian Energy Assessors we offer a full Home Information Pack for home sellers which is regulated by the Hip Code. Our standard price for a freehold HIP on a 1 - 4 bedroom property within our normal area of work is £300 (inclusive of VAT). Please contact us for an exact quote that matches your indivdual requirments.

 

What we can and can't do

When you call to enquire about a HIP you will be asked a number of questions to ascertain whether you actually need one, and whether your property is of a type which we can assess. Leasehold properties with less than 21 years on the lease, properties with a sitting tenant, properties to be demolished, unsafe properties, farms, multiple properties sold as one lot, shops (as these are commercial properties) are excluded from the HIP by law, though EPCs may be required If there is not a current one with the property. We do not currently provide EPCs for system built houses (e.g. prefabricated housing of various types), local traditions (such as thatched roofs and cob construction) and some listed buildings (as these require specialist training to produce an accurate assessment and recommendations).
The full list of exclusions appears below.

 

Current statutory limitations include properties with:

No vacant possession
Lease or tenancy agreements of less than 21 years
Non residential premises
Properties in dual use (commercial and residential)
Conversions to non residential use
Mixed sales (e.g. house and garage. House and more than 5ha agricultural land)
Portfolios of properties
Unsafe properties
Properties to be demolished

Why do you need a HIP?

A HIP is a set of documents that provides the buyer with key information on the property and must be provided by the seller or the seller's agent. It is a legal requirement to have a HIP and you can't market your property without one.

 

The HIP lets buyers see important information about the property at the start of the process, free of charge. This means there is less chance of buyers becoming aware of any surprises at the end of the process. The HIP can help reduce delays and extra expense to the buyer and seller.

 

What does a HIP contain?

 

The HIP is made up of required (compulsory) and authorised (optional) items.

There shouldn't be any marketing or advertising material in the pack, so make sure it contains official information only.

Listed below are all the compulsory documents that need to be included.

Compulsory documents

The following documents must be included in your HIP:

Freehold properties

  • Home Information Pack Index
  • the new Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) (as of 6 April 2009) 
  • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA)
  • sustainability information (required for newly built homes)
  • sale statement
  • evidence of title
  • standard searches (local authority and drainage and water)

Leasehold properties

  • all the compulsory documents above
  • a copy of the lease

For more detail on these documents follow the links below.

 

These properties may need a HIP but we cannot currently provide an EPC:

System built construction
Pre 1975 timber frame
Residences in buildings converted from non residential use which use non traditional forms of construction
Local traditions - use of unusual forms peculiar to a particular area e.g