Home Information Packs (HIPs)

(See also Conveyancing - Buying/Selling Property) 

HIP Order Form

Do I need a HIP? 

As from the 14 December 2007 you must provide a Home Information Pack (HIP) for any residential property you want to sell. Initially the regulations said that a property could not be put on the market until certain parts of the HIP were in place. Recent changes have relaxed this rule, and you can now put your home on the market as soon as the pack has been commissioned.

To ease the introduction of HIPs the Government has made some exemptions for leasehold properties. For six months from the 14 December the only leasehold information required in a HIP will be a copy of the Lease. After that the HIP will have to include all the other information concerning the management of the property you are selling.

What is a HIP?

It is a document containing important preliminary information about a property that is for sale. Every HIP will include the following:

  • An Energy Performance Certificate giving information on energy efficiency, carbon emissions and likely fuel costs
  • A sale statement summarising the terms of the sale
  • Evidence of title confirming the legal ownership of the property
  • The standard searches carried out whenever a property changes ownership
  • A HIP for a leasehold property will include a copy of the lease and any relevant information from the management company.


HIPs can also include additional information such as guarantees, confirmation of planning approvals or a detailed Home Condition Report, but these are optional. To include these documents is likely to increase the cost of a HIP but providing them at the beginning of the transaction may prevent delays.


How can we help?

When selling a home, many people will approach their estate agent in the first instance and ask them to arrange the HIP. Because of this we work with a number of local estate agents, helping them to provide a HIPs service for their clients. Alternatively, you may want to contact us direct for your HIP and if so, we are happy to help.  If you contact us direct we will provide your HIP for £299 plus VAT.

Whether you obtain one of our packs from an estate agent or directly from ourselves, we will be available to answer any queries you have regarding the contents.

If you are buying a property, you may want some help in interpreting the information in a HIP before you go ahead and make an offer. If we are going to be doing the conveyancing for your purchase of the property, we would consider this to be part of the conveyancing service and there will be no charge.

If you would like to know more about HIPs, or to order a pack, contact our Residential Property team at any of our offices.