Is a Home Information Pack (HIP) and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) required if a property is being sold privately ie not through estate agent?
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134liesarenocomfort postedAn EPC is required.
As for the HIP, you might think the answer is "no" but it's not quite so simple. The legislation requires a HIP if the property is "marketed". So if somone puts a note through your letter-box with an offer for your house, which you accept, no marketing, so no HIP is required. If you put a private ad in the local paper (not using an estate agent) you are marketing the property, so a HIP is required.
There are very few situations when an EPC is not required.
Posted on 17 March 2010 |
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272Swarbs posted
There's a full list of situations when a HIP is not required at:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/homeandcommunity/buyingandsellingyourhome/homeinformationpacks/dg_171802
As far as I'm aware, an EPC is required for all sales of any property.
Posted on 17 March 2010 | Love 0 loves
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134liesarenocomfort posted
It is also worth mentioning that in a recent survey, one third of HIPs were found to be unsatisfactory:
http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/a-third-home-information-packs-unsatisfactory
By way of example, I have come across two in the last 6 months where the plan for completely the wrong property was attached (because of similar address spelling). In neither case was this picked up by the agent. There are a proliferation of companies providing HIPs (with natty names like "HIP 2 Go" etc.) which compete only on price, and as always happens when price is the only criteria, eventually quality goes.
One of our local agents says that buyers are usually not in the least bit interested in th HIP and they are rarely asked for a copy - it is just something they have to have on their file.
My suspicion is that EPCs (the colourful "fridge rating" things you see on the agents' particulars) are probably of very varying quality too, but without sending another assessor to check it, it is pretty impossible for a lay person to check. I think EPCs are more worthwhile than HIPs because at least they give people food for thought when it comes to energy saving steps they can take for their house (even if I'm quite sure it doesn't influence people's decision about whether to buy a particular house or not).
EPCs are here to stay as they are required under EU regs.
The Tories want to scrap HIPs - this is one policy at least, Labour could do with adopting. It's hardly a "dog-whistle" issue though.
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Posted on 18 March 2010 | Love 0 loves
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2tomP posted
Yes, these are required, although in my view they are pointless. They were watered down considerably and the real bind for house sellers is the fact that mortgage companies insist on their own surveys, so the HIP is usually ignored. When I sold my property no one asked to see it ever. It was £300 for nothing, particularly as the flat was just 4 years old and pretty much a new build.
Posted on 24 March 2010 | Love 0 loves
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0shercat posted
My HIP provider was so scared of any comeback it took 2 of them nearly 3 hours(!) to conduct it (I lived in a two bedroom flat with basement) and it was full of 'maybe' and 'possibly' none of which were correct. I could not use it. I was even worried when I read it and I knew the 'maybes' were wrong. i.e. that because it was a very old building there 'maybe' asbestos in it ! I was so worried I had it checked out ..there was none! Those sorts of highly emotive words are terrifying to buyers, they do not even read the text they just fixate on the words! The point was I had gone for the mid-high price hip but it cost me twice as much because I then had to commission a new one as I just could not use the first one. They were just over -zealous, unfortunately that can be just as bad as the opposite !
Posted on 05 April 2010 | Love 0 loves
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