What is a Home Information Pack?

Properties marketed for sale from 14 December 2007 in England and Wales need a Home Information Pack.
The Home Information Pack contains important information that buyers and sellers need to know. The Home Information Pack is designed to speed up the process, provide important information upfront, reduce the likelihood of gazumping or gazundering and enable buyers to make informed decisions.
 

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. Buyers will save money as the searches and evidence of title are paid for by the seller.

What does a Pack contain?
The following documents are compulsory:

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.

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.
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 commonhold
• 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 commonhold interest, official copies of the register and title plan should be produced for both the unit and common parts.

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

The required commonhold documents are: an official copy of the individual register and title plan for the common parts.
An official copy of the Commonhold Community Statement
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 commonhold community statement and any amendments proposed to those regulations or to the commonhold community statement
• Copies of any requests for payments made in the previous 12 months in respect of commonhold assessment, reserve fund levy and insurance (if not covered by a request for commonhold assessment)
• The name and address of any managing agent or other person appointed or proposed to be appointed by the commonhold association to manage the commonhold
• A summary of current or proposed works affecting the commonhold.


There are several optional documents that the seller can include:

Home Condition Report

A Home Condition Report contains information about the physical condition of a property, which sellers, buyers and lenders will be able to rely on legally as an accurate report.
The report lists any defects and rates them as to their seriousness.
The Report is an important part of the Pack, and can be included by sellers on a voluntary basis.
Benefits of a Home Condition Report
Sellers who provide a Report will have an early opportunity to carry out repair work on the property or obtain quotes prior to marketing.
Buyers can use it at the beginning of the home-buying process to minimise the possibility of being faced with unexpected repair bills and other surprises.
Lenders can benefit by using the Report to inform their valuations, reducing the need to repeat a detailed on-site inspection at the buyer's expense.

The Government believes there will be significant benefits to home sellers if they top up their Packs to include full Home Condition Reports, and that this is a product that the market can deliver. Communities and Local Government is working with stakeholders to facilitate the voluntary take-up of the full Report, and has invested resources in promoting and developing it for consumers.

Home use / contents forms

Home use and home contents forms let sellers give buyers information on a range of matters relating to the property.
These include information on boundaries, notices, services, sharing with neighbours, planning permissions and other matters of interest to potential buyers.
It is usual for sellers to declare which fixtures and fittings and other contents of the property are included in the sale, are excluded from the sale, or are subject to negotiation.

Other documents

Sellers could speed up the sale if they include non-standard searches in the Home Information Pack where appropriate.
For example, it's standard practice to obtain a mining search in areas where coal mining has taken place. Sellers in these areas will save time if they provide this search in the Pack.
Other searches cover rights of way, ground stability and actual or potential environmental hazards such as flooding and contaminated land.
Sellers will also want to include guarantees and warranties for work already carried out on their homes.