NO MORE HOME INFORMATION PACKS (HIPS)

The government scrapped Home Information Packs but has retained the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in line with EU law.

There is a duty on both the seller and a person acting on their behalf to make reasonable efforts to secure an EPC within 28 days of putting the property on the market. There are penalties for not complying with this duty. The EPC shows how energy efficient a property is, the cost of an EPC is about £60 which is a lot cheaper than a HIP pack.

Abolishing the HIP will hopefully lift the burden off people who have to sell their property due to financial difficulties I am sure they will be pleased that the HIP is one less financial burden that they have to think about.

I believe that abolishing the HIP can only help rather than hinder the recovery of the housing market.

The HIP in most cases led to a duplication of much of the information that is required in a house sale as the purchaser often required a full local authority search rather than relying on the personal search which was normally contained in the HIP.

This is a general guide not a substitute for professional advice

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