If you are seliing your home, you now need a home information pack (Hip) before you can begin your marketing campaign. The good news is that Hips are becoming cheaper; the bad news is that they add to the already considerable bureaucracy of moving house.

1 The contents

The Hip must contain an index, an energy performance certificate (EPC) and a Piq, with information about the property’s condition (see below). It will also need the proof of title and boundaries from the Land Registry; the searches; a sales statement; and a copy of the lease. A Home Contents form, showing fixtures and fittings included in the sale, is optional.

2 Off the hook

In a limited number of circumstances you do not need a Hip. For example, selling to a friend or family member; in this case, you are not marketing the property. For a full list of exemptions go to direct.gov.uk

3 How much?

Your estate agent may include the cost of providing the Hip in his marketing fee. Or he may delay the fee (£250-£450) until the sale is completed. Solicitors can provide Hips although, like agents, they will probably sub-contract to a specialist Hip provider. You should check whether this provider is a member of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) at hipassociation.co.uk

4 Green rating

An energy assessor compiles the EPC after a visit to your home. The certificate grades your property on its energy efficiency. Scores range from A, impeccable, to G, menace. Before the inspector calls, consider making modestly priced improvements, such as better loft insulation.

5 Low score?

A low EPC grade does not mean that your house will never find a buyer. Howard Elston, of Aylesford, the estate agent, says: “I have never seen a buyer ask for money off because of a low EPC grading. People know that when they buy a Victorian terraced house it’s going to be less energy-efficient than a new-build, and that’s a compromise they are usually willing to make.”

6 Take your Piq

Piq stands for property information questionnaire, the newest element of the Hip. This checklist, compiled by the seller, preferably with the help of a solicitor, gives information on such things as parking, fire or flood damage.

7 But beware . . .

Simon Seaton, the director of Fridays Property Lawyers, warns: “The Piq is going to be a minefield for vendors. It asks the vendor difficult questions, the answers to which are actionable if a purchaser considers them to be misleading.”

8 Pay attention

The whole Hip needs your care and attention. Your agent or solicitor may take responsibility for its assembly. But you should check its contents as you could be held accountable for any omissions.

9 Search delays

Providers take about five working days to complete Hips. If the local authority search is delayed it can be added to the Hip within 28 days after the property is put on the market. As Mike Ockenden, the director of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, says, search delays can be a bit of a postcode lottery.

10 Put your foot down

If you aren’t satisifed with your Hip you have every right to complain. Under the Estate Agents Act 1979 all estate agencies must belong to an approved redress scheme, usually either the Ombudsman for Estate Agents scheme or the Surveyors Ombudsman Service. If your Hip provider has fallen short of the mark, go to propertycodes.org.uk

A mixed verdict

Three weeks on, what do sellers think of Hips? Research by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) found that 100 per cent of sellers said the need for a Hip did not put them off selling.

When asked if they were a good thing, 85 per cent said yes; while 8 per cent said they were bad. Just over 60 per cent thought that the Government should try to improve Hips. Ashley King, the chairman of AHIPP, told The Times: “They are not perfect, but the survey shows the foundations are now there.”

Still, not everyone is convinced. The National Association of Estate Agents says that they are an “unwelcome hindrance” as the number of homes on the market continues to decline.

Rebecca O’Connor

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