26 March 2009
You and the Law - eBulletin
The latest addition to Home Information Packs (HIPs)
The Government has announced a few extra measures which will expand the contents of Home Information Packs (HIPs). These come into effect on 6th April 2009.
- A HIP must be in place before any property is marketed, although searches which are not available at that time can be added within 28 days.
- A HIP must include a Property Information Questionnaire and it is advisable to prepare this with the help of a qualified solicitor.
- Local searches must be as comprehensive as those obtained directly from the local authority. Until now most HIPs have contained personal searches but these should no longer be used if the local authority does not allow personal search organisations access to certain records.
Peter Howe, one of our Residential Property specialists, says: “Despite the advice of many professionals involved in the house-buying process, HIPs are not going away. It will become even more important that a seller consults a solicitor as soon as he has decided to sell his property.
“Hart Brown is experienced in this area as it has been preparing HIPs since their inception and is well placed to provide them within a few days at a competitive rate. This means a property can be placed on the market without undue delay and at minimal cost.”
For further information contact Hart Brown on 01483 887766 or email
David Knapp: David.knapp@hartbrown.co.uk (Woking) or
Tim Pearce: Tim.pearce@hartbrown.co.uk (Cobham) or
Gary Score Gary.score@hartbrown.co.uk (Wimbledon) or
Stuart Spencer Stuart.spencer@hartbrown.co.uk (Cranleigh)