Our Services
How we can help with
- Conveyancing
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- HIPS
Click here to view Home Information Pack (HIPS) services.
- Remortgages
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- Wills
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- Probate
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- Powers of Attorney
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- Property and Leases
Click here to view Commercial Property and Business Leases services.
Home Information Packs (HIPS)
Not withstanding increasing criticism from property professionals and many other observers, the government has ploughed on regardless and has now made HIPs compulsory for all residential property. Sellers therefore now need to have commissioned a Home Information Pack on their property before they can start the marketing process. In their present watered-down form, HIPs are widely considered to be an unnecessary and unhelpful waste of time and money. However, as we are stuck with them, at least for the moment, we have made arrangements to enable us to provide HIPs at a very competitive price but also to add extra value to the HIP. We do this by providing additional information and documentation to the Buyer’s solicitors to convert the preliminary contract paperwork combined with the HIP into something far more useful in streamlining the conveyancing process. If you are thinking of placing your property on the market, please contact us first for more details of our value-added package, which will make your expenditure on the HIP far more worthwhile.
Home Information Packs (HIPS) Lingo
Below are useful keywords and terminology associated with Home Information Packs (HIPS).
Energy Performance Certificate
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The HIP must contain this Certificate, which involves a suitably qualified Assessor attending at the property and carrying out an inspection with a view to giving the property an energy rating. If you are thinking of putting your property on the market, you could consider some simple steps such as fitting low energy light bulbs throughout and also considering other energy-saving measures, such as loft insulation, if you are keen to obtain the best grade possible. However, it is important to take some preliminary advice before incurring any significant expense as, in our experience, most Buyers have other priorities when choosing their new home and are more concerned with the size of the accommodation, the location, local schools etc. We can put you in touch with a suitably qualified Energy Performance Assessor for preliminary advice before you place your property on the market.
Title Documents
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In their present form, HIPs only have to include the very basic Title Documents consisting of a copy of the Register Entries and the Title Plan together with, if leasehold, a copy of the Lease. There can often be many other documents relevant to the legal title which are not included in the HIP.
Searches
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Again, in their present form, HIPs have to include a Drainage/Water Search and also a form of Local Search. The Drainage/Water Search has to be provided by the local Drainage Authority so this should be acceptable to all Buyers’ solicitors and their Mortgage Lenders. The form of Local Search can vary between the form provided by the Local Authority itself and an alternative form known as a Personal Search. Some Buyers’ solicitors and Lenders are not happy to accept a form of Personal Search and legal advice will be required at an early stage in this connection.