Home Information Packs

What's in a Home Information Pack?

The Home Information Pack contains important information that buyers and sellers need to know.
Properties marketed for sale from 14 December 2007 in England and Wales need a Home Information Pack.

Benefits For Sellers
For sellers, providing a Pack upfront should reduce the likelihood of any nasty surprises in the selling process that could delay the sale, as buyers will be able to make more informed decisions about purchasing their home.

Benefits For Buyers
For buyers, the Pack provides essential information about properties they are considering buying, free of charge.

What Does a Pack Contain?

Home Information Pack Index

• The Index lists the documents contained in the Pack and provides a checklist for sellers, buyers, estate agents and enforcement authorities.
• Where a document that must be included in the Pack is unavailable, the Index must say so, give the reason it is missing, and indicate what steps are being taken to obtain it.
• Where documents are added to or removed from the Pack at a later stage, the Index should be revised accordingly.

Energy Performance Certificate

Energy Performance Certificates tell you how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A.

The Certificate also tells you, on a scale of A-G, about the impact the home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings. The Certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save you money and help the environment.

Most sellers of newly built homes will have to provide a predicted assessment of the energy efficiency of the property, but a full Energy Performance Certificate should be provided to the buyer when the home is completed.

Sale Statement

The sale statement should provide some basic information about the property, including:

• The address of the property being sold
• Whether the property is freehold, leasehold or common hold
• Whether the property is registered or unregistered
• Whether or not the property is being sold with vacant possession

Standard Searches

The Home Information Pack must include:

• The local land charges register relating to the property being sold. Once a search is completed, which can be carried out by a personal search company or a local authority, you will receive an official search certificate.
• Other records held by the local authority on matters of interest to buyers, such as planning decisions and road building proposals. These are referred to as local enquiries in the Home Information Pack regulations. A local authority or a personal search company can be used.
• The provision of drainage and water services to the property. The local water company or a personal search company can be used (however, the search must comply with the HIP Regulations).

Evidence of Title

These documents prove that the seller owns the property and therefore has the right to sell it. Where the property being sold is registered, certain documents that are available on request from the Land Registry must be included in the Pack. These provide an up-to-date official record of who owns the land, and consist of:

• Official copies of the individual register (made up of a property register, proprietorship register and, typically, a charges register)
• An official copy of the title plan

In the case of the sale of a common hold interest, official copies of the register and title plan should be produced for both the unit and common parts. The Land Registry has details of additional requirements for sales of common hold properties.

For sales of unregistered land, the Pack must include copies of a certificate of an official search of the index map (obtained from the Land Registry), and those documents that the seller intends to rely on to provide evidence of title to the property, and thus the right to sell it.

Leasehold and Common Hold Properties

Most of the documents that must be included in the Home Information Pack are applicable to all transactions, but some are needed only for leasehold and common hold sales.

Of the required leasehold documents only a copy of the Lease is compulsory.

However, sellers should include other leasehold documents whenever available and the following are authorised for inclusion in Home Information Packs:

• Any regulations or rules that apply to the property that aren't mentioned in the lease and any proposed amendments to same
• Statements or summaries of service charges covering the previous 36 months
• Where appropriate, the most recent requests for payment of service charges, ground rent, insurance against damage for the building in which the property is situated, and insurance in respect of personal injury caused by or within the building during the 12-month period before marketing began
• The name and address of the current or proposed lessor, and details of any managing agent that has been appointed or proposed by the lessor to manage the property
• A summary of any works being undertaken or proposed that will affect the property or the building in which it's situated.

The required common hold documents are:

An official copy of the individual register and title plan for the common parts. This is in addition to official copies for the unit (see our section on Evidence of title).

An official copy of the common hold community statement is on the Land Registry website.

Where they are reasonably obtainable, or sellers can reasonably be expected to be aware of them, the following documents and information are also required:

• Copies of any regulations or rules not described in the common hold community statement and any amendments proposed to those regulations or to the common hold community statement
• Copies of any requests for payments made in the previous 12 months in respect of common hold assessment, reserve fund levy and insurance (if not covered by a request for common hold assessment)
• The name and address of any managing agent or other person appointed or proposed to be appointed by the common hold association to manage the common hold
• A summary of current or proposed works affecting the common hold.