The Home Information Pack

Home Information Pack branding image The Government has introduced Home Information Packs to improve the process of buying and selling a home.

News releases and announcements

A new package of measures to ensure consumers receive improved information in the home buying and selling process was announced by Housing Minister Margaret Beckett on 8 December 2008.

News release: New measures to benefit consumers - 8 December 2008
a written statement by Margaret Becket: New measures to benefit consumers, published 8 December 2008
copies of the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) - General version and New Homes version

Introduction

Home Information Packs (HIPs) were introduced by the Housing Act 2004 (external link) to help improve the consumer experience of buying and selling a home in England and Wales.

All residential properties marketed for sale since 14 December 2007, must have a Home Information Pack (HIP).

The Packs:

provide prospective buyers with important information about a property early in the home buying and selling process, so they can make an informed decision about whether or not to make an offer, reducing delays and possible failed transactions later on
help homeowners to cut their fuel bills and reduce the 27 per cent of carbon emissions through an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) providing an assessment of energy efficiency

The legislative background to HIPs

All homes, marketed for sale since 14 December 2007 in England and Wales must have a Home Information Pack. The requirements are set out in the Housing Act 2004 (external link) in sections 154 - 159 and the Home Information Pack (No. 2) Regulations 2007 (as amended) (external link).

The documents currently required to go in the HIP are: an index; energy performance information; sustainability information (new homes only); evidence of title; and standard searches. Packs for leasehold sales should include a copy of the lease in addition to these documents.

The Regulations and associated procedural guidance can be found in the chronological list of publications about Home Information Packs.

On 8 December, the HIP Regulations were amended to include the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) as a mandatory requirement in a HIP for all properties marketed for sale on or after the 6 April 2009. The regulations also make permanent, from 1 January 2009, the lease as the only additional mandatory requirement for leasehold properties, and extend for a final period, transitional arrangements for first day marketing and insurance cover for private searches until 5 April 2009 when the measures will expire.

The Statutory Instrument is available on the Office of Public Sector Information website as follows:

The Home Information Pack (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2008
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20083107_en_1 (external link)

Key facts and figures

Home Information Packs are in place and working -

over one million HIPs have been produced, giving buyers information up-front to help inform decisions and increase choice
more than one million homes now have EPCs, providing homeowners with information and recommendations to improve energy efficiency of their property

Consumers are benefiting by:

saving on average £30 on property searches costs which have fallen since the introduction of HIPs by up to £120 in some areas
saving on average £300 a household per year on fuel bills if owners follow the improvements recommended on their EPC (according to the Energy Saving Trust)

Further Information

If you are involved in the property industry further information about Home Information Packs is available at: www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk (external website).

If you are looking to sell or buy a home and need more information about HIPs please visit the Directgov website at www.direct.gov.uk/HIPs (external website).

Contact us

Home Buying and Selling Unit
Communities and Local Government
4th Floor
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU

Telephone: 020 7944 4400
email: contactus@communities.gsi.gov.uk