|
HIPs
transfer to a seller many expenses usually borne by a purchaser – so, as your
solicitor, unlike the estate agent, who does not act for you on a related
purchase, we are better placed to ensure that expenses are not duplicated.
Why
have HIPs been introduced?
The
government has introduced HIPs in an attempt to speed up the home 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. The introduction of HIPs has
occurred on a phased basis. Now,
all homes for sale must have one. This
requirement will be introduced soon for commercial 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 (summarising
the terms of the sale)
Evidence of title.
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, information on service charges and
insurance)
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 or other searches.
Property information forms and fixture and fitting information should be
included – but is often omitted from cheaper packs.
Why
should you choose us to provide your HIP?
You
can trust us. As solicitors we are
obliged to protect the interests of our clients and no one else.
In
the main, HIPs are all about speeding up the legal side of selling your house.
The “legal side” is what we do.
HIPs contain a large amount of complex,
legal information and we, as solicitors are best placed to prepare and interpret
these packs. We offer the Law Society Home Information Pack. We’re confident
that the Law Society HIP is the right solution for your next sale:
Guaranteed compliant with HIP legislation.
Online preparation reduces delays and
ensures the pack is prepared as quickly as possible.
Flexible, allowing inclusion of additional
authorised items to assist you in marketing your property.
The Law Society branding offers the
buyer’s solicitor further reassurance.
Seamlessly links into the conveyancing
process.
Competitively priced
If
you are thinking of selling your house, make us your first port of call or tell
your Estate Agent that we will deal with the legal ingredients of the Pack. If
the estate agent deals with the Pack and requires us, as solicitors, advise on
the “legal” contents, it can add unnecessarily to the costs you have to
bear. Moreover, time can be lost while we await information that is not sent to
us directly. Nevertheless, whoever prepares the Pack, it is an additional
unavoidable expense that a Vendor now has to bear.
We
do not charge extra for the usual conveyancing process that, as solicitors, we
are statutorily empowered to undertake – where unqualified firms are legally
prohibited.
|
