HOME INFORMATION PACKS
Let us take the worry out of your hands
With effect from 14 December 2007 every dwelling house or flat placed on the market for sale will require a Home Information Pack. The Pack will contain basic information about the property such as the name of the Seller and the address of the property being sold, whether it is freehold or leasehold and whether the title is registered at the Land Registry.
The Pack will also contain an Energy Performance Certificate and in due course, possibly a Home Condition Report although this is not certain at the moment. The Certificate rates the energy efficiency of the house on a scale of A to G (A being the most efficient with lowest running costs) and any impact the house has on the environment. Advice is included on how to improve energy efficiency.
The Pack may also include forms completed by the Seller which could give information on boundaries, guarantees, sharing with neighbours and planning matters. A Fixtures Fittings and Contents Form may detail items that are included with the sale.
The Pack should also include Official Copies of the title from the Land Registry (if the property is registered) of the Register which provides a description of the property and whether it is freehold or leasehold and also the title plan showing the location and boundaries. We have a direct computer link with the Land Registry and can obtain Official Copies instantly.
A legal summary may also be included in the Pack. This is a legal adviser's view of the contents of the Pack to enable you to identify any issues.
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Flats are usually sold leasehold, so a copy of the Lease and details of the ground rent/service charge may also be included.
Other items to be included will be a copy of a Water and Drainage Search and Local Search which is carried out with the Local Authority to ascertain details of planning permissions and other issues affecting the property and surrounding land. There may well be copies of further searches such as coal mining searches (if the property is in an area known for mining), chancel and environment searches. If these are not included, you can ask us to carry these out for you at further cost.
There will be no cost to the Buyer for the Pack. A Buyer should be able to obtain a copy from the estate agents selling the property. However, the agent may make a charge to cover the cost of photocopying and postage.
How long does the Pack last?
If the property is marketed continuously, there is no need to update the Pack unless the information becomes out of date. If marketing of the property stops and then restarts, you would normally need to assemble a new Pack although there are exceptions.
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