Home Information Packs for a private sale - MyKeys.co.uk has the perfect solution

On 22nd May 2007 Ruth Kelly of the Department of Communities and Local Government, announced a major u-turn in the governments' plans to rush through the launch of Home Information Packs. The packs (or HIP's) were due to become a legal requirement of the home sale process in England and Wales on 1st June 2007, regardless of the concerns of the property sector.

The climb down was due to pressure from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) who had taken the unprecedented step of requesting a judicial review of the whole affair.

However, the government was still determined to forge ahead with the introduction of Home Information Packs - a new date was set for 1st August 2007. The major concession here was that they would initially be introduced for properties with 4 or more bedrooms, and be introduced for properties with fewer bedrooms soon after. A date of September 10th was then set to extend the requirement for a pack to properties with 3 bedrooms. Then in late November 2007 it was announced that the requirement was being extended to include one and two bedroom properties from 14th December 2007. Therefore, subject to a small number of exceptions, all properties in Endland and Wales being newly marketed on or after 14th December 2007 will require a Home Information Pack.

So what does this all mean for home owners wishing to move house via private sale? On this and the associated pages listed below you will hopefully find all the information you will need to fully understand Home Information Packs, including links to some sources of official information.

With all the contradictory information that has been released from various sources about HIP's it is no wonder that many home owners are confused. Will they cost £200 or £1000? Can I or can't I market my house before I have a completed HIP? What exactly is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)? How long will a pack last before I need to renew it?

One thing is clear - as a private property sale website, MyKeys.co.uk will not be able to directly provide Home Information Packs for our customers. In doing so we would be providing home selling services above and beyond those of advertising and would therefore be classed as an estate agent in the eyes of the Office of Fair Trading. This can have implications for anyone wishing to use our services alongside an estate agent, the details of which are covered on our estate agent page.

The next thing we must make clear is .... THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM.

Though we can't directly provide Home Information Packs for our customers we have invested a lot of time investigating the numerous companies that have entered the market to provide them. Some are entirely new businesses born out of the need for this new service. Others are established businesses that see HIP provision as a natural extension to their existing services - eg solicitors.

We have provided links to Home Information Pack providers below. Please contact them to discuss your options if you don't already have this arranged. Please note that whatever your choice for obtaining a HIP, when it comes to placing your advert we require a declaration that you are in a position to legally market your property.

hipsandhcrs
A no frills full-service national Home Information Pack Provider offering to put together the entire contents of the new HIPs in a cost effective, efficient and timely manner. Their Freehold HIPs cost £249, Leasehold HIPs cost £269 and Commonhold HIPs cost £299. They are members of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers and adhere to the HIP Code. The hipsandhcrs Price Match Guarantee - Find a cheaper complete Home Information Pack anywhere on the internet before you purchase a HIP from us and we will match it and give you a further 10% discount.
Website: www.hipsandhcrs.co.uk
Telephone: 08707 654 354/6
Online HIP application: www.hipsandhcrs.co.uk/order.php.