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Optional Documents
| Registered Company No. 6506463 | V.A.T. no. 927 6938 72 | Email: info@energyreporter.co.uk | Call (0151) 727 5235 |
• The Home Contents Form
• Home Condition Report
• Legal Summary
• The Home Use Form
• Guarantees and Warranties
• Other Documents
The Home Contents Form
The completion and entry of the home contents form is optional and may be completed and
added into your pack if requested. It discloses what fixtures, fittings, appliances, furnishings,
outbuildings and vegetation are included in the sale of the property. These questions will
often be asked for by potential purchasers and therefore their early disclosure may speed up
the process. It may also help settle any potential disputes that may arise on the day of
completion.
Home Condition Report
Since the government announced the HIP programme there have been some changes to their
compulsory contents, most notably the reclassification of Home Condition Report (HCR) as a
compulsory document to an optional document. This means that they are no longer a
compulsory part of the HIP, but may be commissioned and entered into the pack if the vendor
wishes. The HCR is a survey that focuses on the condition of the property and highlights any
actual or potential problems within that property. The Energy Performance Certificate was
initially just a part of the Home Condition Report, however due to consistent pressure from the
media and big industry players such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and
the Association of Estate Agents the plans to introduce them as compulsory have been
shelved. Many industry insiders feel that as long as the Home Condition Report is not a
compulsory part of the Home Information Pack, they will not be adopted by vendors, solicitors,
estate agents or pack providers. The underlying major objection that these organisations
have is that they believe that a survey that has been commissioned by the vendor maybe
favourably biased to the vendor and therefore not a useful document to the purchaser. The
council of mortgage lenders has said that the HCR "cannot replace a lender's valuation.
Lenders will still need to make an assessment of value in every transaction. This is a
regulatory requirement and protects both lenders and borrowers. Our estimate is that the
majority of transactions will still need a valuation report that will be charged for separately by
the lender".
Legal Summary
A legal summary may be added to a Home Information Pack to clarify some of the more
complicated legal documents that the pack contains. It may also be used to highlight any
actual or potential issues relating to the property's HIP. Please note that this does not negate
the need for buyers to take their own legal advice and we would always recommend doing so.
The Home Use Form
The completion and entry of the home use form is optional, and may be completed and added
into your pack if requested. It includes questions on access, maintenance payments, service
provision, council tax banding, boundaries, building works carried out (planning permission
and building control certificates if applicable), insurance and specific questions that relate to
commonhold and freehold properties.
Guarantees and Warranties
Any guarantees or warranties that the home owner has can be placed into the pack. They
provide assurances to the purchaser and therefore improve the quality of the HIP. Your
Domestic Energy Assessor will be able to take copies of these and include them in the pack.
Other Documents
There are a substantial number of non standard optional documents that may be added into
the HIP. The inclusion of most of these documents is highly dependant on the location of your
property. For example, properties that are located near coal mines should obtain a mining
search, those that have a history of flooding should obtain a flood search, if they are in an
area of undergoing construction or development they should obtain a planning review, and so
on. If these documents are not added to the HIP the purchasers advisors may recommend
that they are requested. This may slow down the completion date or worse cause the sale to
fall through. For a complete list of the optional searches we provide, please contact our office.
• Home Condition Report
• Legal Summary
• The Home Use Form
• Guarantees and Warranties
• Other Documents
The Home Contents Form
The completion and entry of the home contents form is optional and may be completed and
added into your pack if requested. It discloses what fixtures, fittings, appliances, furnishings,
outbuildings and vegetation are included in the sale of the property. These questions will
often be asked for by potential purchasers and therefore their early disclosure may speed up
the process. It may also help settle any potential disputes that may arise on the day of
completion.
Home Condition Report
Since the government announced the HIP programme there have been some changes to their
compulsory contents, most notably the reclassification of Home Condition Report (HCR) as a
compulsory document to an optional document. This means that they are no longer a
compulsory part of the HIP, but may be commissioned and entered into the pack if the vendor
wishes. The HCR is a survey that focuses on the condition of the property and highlights any
actual or potential problems within that property. The Energy Performance Certificate was
initially just a part of the Home Condition Report, however due to consistent pressure from the
media and big industry players such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and
the Association of Estate Agents the plans to introduce them as compulsory have been
shelved. Many industry insiders feel that as long as the Home Condition Report is not a
compulsory part of the Home Information Pack, they will not be adopted by vendors, solicitors,
estate agents or pack providers. The underlying major objection that these organisations
have is that they believe that a survey that has been commissioned by the vendor maybe
favourably biased to the vendor and therefore not a useful document to the purchaser. The
council of mortgage lenders has said that the HCR "cannot replace a lender's valuation.
Lenders will still need to make an assessment of value in every transaction. This is a
regulatory requirement and protects both lenders and borrowers. Our estimate is that the
majority of transactions will still need a valuation report that will be charged for separately by
the lender".
Legal Summary
A legal summary may be added to a Home Information Pack to clarify some of the more
complicated legal documents that the pack contains. It may also be used to highlight any
actual or potential issues relating to the property's HIP. Please note that this does not negate
the need for buyers to take their own legal advice and we would always recommend doing so.
The Home Use Form
The completion and entry of the home use form is optional, and may be completed and added
into your pack if requested. It includes questions on access, maintenance payments, service
provision, council tax banding, boundaries, building works carried out (planning permission
and building control certificates if applicable), insurance and specific questions that relate to
commonhold and freehold properties.
Guarantees and Warranties
Any guarantees or warranties that the home owner has can be placed into the pack. They
provide assurances to the purchaser and therefore improve the quality of the HIP. Your
Domestic Energy Assessor will be able to take copies of these and include them in the pack.
Other Documents
There are a substantial number of non standard optional documents that may be added into
the HIP. The inclusion of most of these documents is highly dependant on the location of your
property. For example, properties that are located near coal mines should obtain a mining
search, those that have a history of flooding should obtain a flood search, if they are in an
area of undergoing construction or development they should obtain a planning review, and so
on. If these documents are not added to the HIP the purchasers advisors may recommend
that they are requested. This may slow down the completion date or worse cause the sale to
fall through. For a complete list of the optional searches we provide, please contact our office.
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| Energyreporter Ltd is registered with the PCCB as a subscriber to the HIPcode |