HIPs to become more consumer friendly from 6th April 2009

In December 2008 the Government announced a number of changes to the Home Information Pack (HIP) regulations, to be implemented on 6th April 2009. Here at Severn Trent Searches we’ve been ready for these changes for some time and have looked at the impact of these amendments for conveyancers and consumers alike:

Changes from 6th April:

• Property Information Questionnaire in HIPs
• End of first day marketing provisions
• Insurance provisions covering local authority searches ends

Severn Trent Searches PIQ process

Our experienced HIP team and in-house Domestic Energy Assessors are able to obtain all the required documents for marketing a property quickly, and sellers will be able to complete the Property Information Questionnaire online via our ordering website, meaning properties can be marketed within a few days of us receiving an order. See our PIQ User Manual to find out how:

PIQ Manual www.severntrentsearches.com/piqmanual.pdf

We can provide your firm with email updates at five key stages of the HIP fulfilment process, (including when the PIQ is completed, when a property is ready to be marketed, HIP completed, etc). If your firm would like to receive these updates, please email us at business@severntrentsearches.com stating which email address you would like us to use

Expanding HIP content

6th April sees the launch of the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ), as a mandatory element in the Home Information Pack. This will be completed by the seller and include a number of questions on subjects such as Council Tax band, flood risk information, gas and electricity safety and service charges; information that is directly relevant to the purchaser. As the majority of the Home Information Pack (HIP) at present is orientated towards legal professionals, the addition of the Property Information Questionnaire should make the HIP much more useful to potential buyers. In addition, making HIPs available from the first point of marketing means buyers can have access to important information about the property from the outset.

Making HIPs available sooner

From 6th April the HIP will have to be available to consumers from the first point of marketing. This will mean that important information such as the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) will be available for any potential buyers from the start of the home selling process. Other documents, such as searches will have to be provided within 28 days.

Temporary insurance provisions

Temporary provisions allowing personal search companies to use insurance as cover for any local authority information that is unavailable is due to end on 6th April. From this date, local authorities should be providing access to all of the information required for the LLC1 and CON29 searches, and in turn personal search companies will have to pass all of this information on to their clients.

Severn Trent Searches is a leading supplier of conveyancing searches and Home Information Packs in the Midlands. An executive member of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) and with direct links to many local authorities within our region, you can be assured of a quality HIP from us every time.

View:
Change to HIPs (CLG) pdf (47kb)
Changes to Home Buying and Selling (CLG) pdf (228kb)

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