Hi all.

I'm new to the forum - I'm involved in HIPs and can answer any questions/queries on them.

Now I've got my AA style introduction out the way :hihi: if anyone has any questions about HIPs or Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) just post them here and I'll do my best to answer them.

Here are the basics:

HIPs now apply to most residential sales regardless of bedroom number. The HIP is not intended for the buyer, its intended for their solicitor. Aside from the EPC, the HIP is primarily for solicitors as 90% of the documents in them were used anyway even before HIPs came in.

The EPC is a document which describes through a banding system how energy efficient a home is and what its carbon footprint is. The advisory document which follows it describes how you can increase the band the property falls into by undertaking certain improvements. The report describes how much £ you are likely to save annually as well.

Estate agents have to include as a minimum the A-G graphs (like on white goods/light bulb boxes) on their sales particulars if a HIP is available.

Oh, and you don't have to have the HIP available for marketing to start, you only need to have ordered it. This is something I find people get wrong alot. The other common mistake is that some people think that if you sell without an EA you won't need a HIP - not true. I think this is people confusing selling privately with 'private sales' for which different rules apply.

Well, thats the basics. Newbuild HIPs are different and more complex - I can answer questions on these too if required.

Let the questions begin!

I have a question - given that solicitors don't trust them, and many buyers/sellers never even see them, is there actually any point in HIPs? Or are they just another stealth tax by New Labour, as well as a means to creating unnecessary jobs to make unemployment figures look better, and adding the straw that broke the camel's back to the housing market?

I have a question - given that solicitors don't trust them, and many buyers/sellers never even see them, is there actually any point in HIPs? Or are they just another stealth tax by New Labour, as well as a means to creating unnecessary jobs to make unemployment figures look better, and adding the straw that broke the camel's back to the housing market?

I agree here. The biggest con that ever came out. What a waste of time and money.

I have a question - given that solicitors don't trust them, and many buyers/sellers never even see them, is there actually any point in HIPs? Or are they just another stealth tax by New Labour, as well as a means to creating unnecessary jobs to make unemployment figures look better, and adding the straw that broke the camel's back to the housing market?

I don't understand this issue about trust when it comes to HIP documents. The documents are exactly the same when a solicitor orders them independently as in the pre-HIPs situation or they are taken from the HIP. If there are any trust issues its likely down to the fact they are new and all new things take time to bed in - and they are. We get calls from solicitors requesting additional HIP copies so they are being used.

I find the most common problem solicitors have with HIPs generally are either the age of the documents i.e. the searches and the fact that alot of information they would like is not included in the bog standard HIP. HIPs are on the market now which solve both these problems.

Again, the HIP isn't really for the seller/buyer its for the solicitors bar the EPC. Having said that, buyers would be wise to look at them as there is useful information in it e.g.


The council tax band
The price the vendor paid for the property
List of fixtures/fittings and other items which come with the property
As far as the EPC goes, the energy efficiency rating which directly relates to fuel bills/electric bills and the carbon footprint of the property which will become increasingly important in the future. Energy assessors will be in every European country by the end of 2009 performing EPCs which is great for all buyers with social consciences/conservative budgets whichever is the most important.


This list is not exhaustive and all is available upfront rather than at the end which makes alot more sense no? Some of the information is not 'mandatory' and bargain basement low quality providers will likely exclude it as a way of cutting costs. All HIPs are not the same.

I'll start the ball rollig... Chriserenity, can you clarify which properties require a HIP and do those already on the market require them?

I'll start the ball rollig... Chriserenity, can you clarify which properties require a HIP and do those already on the market require them?

Yes I can Tony.

Generally speaking if a residential property with any number of bedrooms is being marketed at least to a section of the public a HIP will be required. There are exceptions:


No marketing occurs e.g. sale to self or member of the family.
The property is being sold as part of a portfolio with no possibility that individual properties in the portfolio will be split off and sold separately.
The development is non-residential.
The property is being sold without vacant possession e.g. with sitting tenants.
The property is for seasonal and holiday accommodation.
The sale is mixed use i.e. residential with another use e.g. shop with flat.
The property is being sold to be demolished.
The property is newbuild (in some cases) special rules apply to these properties.


Regarding the properties on the market now without HIPs there is now no date when a HIP is required. Back in the early part of the year when they were going to roll out HIPs all in one go the rules stated that all 'HIP-required' properties on the market without a HIP before June 1st would need one by the start of 2008. When the phased roll out was announced this 'drop dead date' was removed and was not replaced with another. So you can keep marketing without a HIP.

Significant dates are:
4 or more bedroomed properties needed HIPs from 1st August 2007
3 bedroomed properties needed HIPs from 10th September 2007
1/2 bed properties needed HIPs from 14th December 2007


A note of caution however - savvy buyers may see the absence of a HIP as evidence of problems with the property. Particularly larger ones as for example a 4 bed family home on the market now without a HIP tells the buyer its been on the market since August - so why hasn't it sold? Theres nothing like snow in the photos in the sales particulars in June to motivate a buyer - you catch my drift?

Voluntary take up may be advisable in this instance for the sake of a few hundred pounds.

Hiya I am in the process of doing up my house, what advise would you give so when I eventually sell it the energy efficiency is good. I am unsure what the HIPs actually look for or measure, cheers

Hiya I am in the process of doing up my house, what advise would you give so when I eventually sell it the energy efficiency is good. I am unsure what the HIPs actually look for or measure, cheers

Hi Monty.

Regarding what the HIP looks like I can point you to an online version of one of ours for an example? Go to The HIPVIEW website (google it I can't post links yet apparently!). Note - this isn't our site - its like rightmove but for HIPs. Search for 40 Ashwell Grove, Eastwood, Rotherham, S65 1NF

You can click on each HIP component and have a look. The EPC will be the most relevant to you - if you click on it you should be able to view it as a .pdf

The EPC will assess the thermal performance of the whole property. So things you can't control will play a big part e.g. if its an older flat surrounded by other flats will get a better rating than a new detached property most likely - more outside surfaces to lose heat to.

Regarding the things you can control, thats really the point of the EPC. This report can be up to a year old by the time you put it in the HIP so if you get it early you will have time to benefit from its recommendations. If you wanted to update it before putting it in the HIP so it reflects the work you've done the energy assessor will probably give you a big discount to re-issue it. If you're not keen on doing this there is excellent general advice on the Energy Saving Trust website.

The EPC takes into account (not complete):

Insulation in the walls/on the walls
Insulation in the loft
Glazing type/age
Heating system - age, type, condensing or not. The SEDBUK database may help you identify your boiler if you've lost the instructions.
Heating controls
Hot water tank size and insulation (if applicable)
Fuel type e.g. gas/oil
Lightbulb type e.g. low energy or not
Conservatories - these can be VERY detrimental to the score if there is no external quality door separating the cons from the main property.
Roof type - flat or pitched
Window size - more glazing equals more heat loss (except passive solar heating for e.g.)
Electricity supply single or dual rate (economy seven)
Open fireplace numbers
Solar water heating
Photovoltaic panels (electric from the sun)


And other information not really in your control without major building work.

Some things are not taken into account by the EPC yet but this will change e.g. Most micro generation projects e.g. domestic wind turbines

Give the EPC example a read and you should get the drift. The environmental impact score relates to the property's carbon footprint for socially conscious buyers!

Hasn't the HIP just added an extra financial burden to the buying/selling process, and not speeded it up in any way? Since the HIP is arranged as soon as the house is put on the market, by the time a sale is agreed the searches info could be out of date anyway, so the buyer will still have to pay for them. It will also put an end to speculative selling, where sellers are 50/50 about actually moving but put there house up at a high price to see what they can get away with. Short term this will causes prices to fall, longer term it will cut supply and add a further pressure to rising prices (once they start rising again after the crash has finished in a few years time).

Hasn't the HIP just added an extra financial burden to the buying/selling process, and not speeded it up in any way? Since the HIP is arranged as soon as the house is put on the market, by the time a sale is agreed the searches info could be out of date anyway, so the buyer will still have to pay for them. It will also put an end to speculative selling, where sellers are 50/50 about actually moving but put there house up at a high price to see what they can get away with. Short term this will causes prices to fall, longer term it will cut supply and add a further pressure to rising prices (once they start rising again after the crash has finished in a few years time).

Every document in the home information pack besides the EPC is used already by conveyancers, the only difference is its available upfront rather than at the end. The feedback we've been getting from conveyancers that have used our HIPs is that they have been speeding things up. The biggest difference is in local authorities where they can take weeks and weeks to return a search so that wait is done at the start. The good thing about this is that currently the HIP only has to be ordered for the property to be marketed so sellers don't have to wait for it. Also, in June when certain documents must be in place for the property to be marketed the searches arn't on the list so it won't be an issue then either.

The out of date HIP issue is a concern certainly! Bargain basement HIP providers offering the standard product don't offer a way around this issue. Having said that, there is a provider out there that offers to renew out of date searches for free if the buyer's solicitor has an issue with the age of the searches so all is not lost.

Regarding speculative sellers - sure it'll put some people off but if people are serious about selling they can get the HIP and play about putting the property on the market and taking it off again for up to a year using the same HIP so there is flexibility. If paying out 3 or 4 hundred pounds upfront is a real problem most providers offer a deferred or instalment payment option often interest free so ...

I'm not so sure HIPs will have so much of an effect on the wider market as you suggest. Surely there are bigger forces at work than HIPs? e.g. housing shortage, credit crunch, mortgage availability narrowing, interest rates, Northern Rock issue knock-on, effects of floods and buyer wariness of property on floodplains.

Further to this, assessing the impact of HIPs right now is hard because some have them and some don't. Things are happening like buyers (through their solicitor) are paying for HIP docs outside the HIP for exempt properties and in turn selling their house and having to pay for a HIP which is a double-whammy. Conversely however, first time buyers don't have to pay for the information when a HIP is available. Once it beds in we'll have a clearer idea methinks.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good idea in principle. It is the execution of it that has been so poor. It shouldn't have been watered down. It should include a full survey. It is logical the seller should pay for this, rather than potentially several buyers who, after one pulls out, the following buyer almost certainly has no way of getting hold of the existing survey(s) and has to waste money doing yet another. Do you know why this was taken out of the HIP? Is it because this would reduce the "jobs for the boys" element of the house buying process? i.e. fewer surveys and hence surveyors would be needed.

Hasn't the HIP just added an extra financial burden to the buying/selling process, and not speeded it up in any way?

It's a small extra cost to a seller yes but then every seller is also a buyer so it evens out in the end.

If these had been available 9 months ago I wouldn't have been forced to pay my solicitors £500 for the work on they'd done on the first house I tried to buy after the seller decided a few weeks before the deal would have been done that she no longer wanted to sell the house (but then immediately put it back on the market + £10,000 on the asking price).

If HIPs protect first time buyers from having their limited savings wasted because of the actions of the seller then they're ok with me.

Do you know why this was taken out of the HIP? Is it because this would reduce the "jobs for the boys" element of the house buying process? i.e. fewer surveys and hence surveyors would be needed.

I think thats exactly why they were taken out. The vested interests were lining up to tell the media why HIPs were the spawn of the devil and nobody ever mentioned that they were doing it because they'd be doing fewer surveys and therefore getting less money.

I think thats exactly why they were taken out. The vested interests were lining up to tell the media why HIPs were the spawn of the devil and nobody ever mentioned that they were doing it because they'd be doing fewer surveys and therefore getting less money.

The official CLG line was that there would not have been enough Home Inspectors qualified to perform the required number of surveys on June 1st. In fact, exactly the same line on DEA numbers was used by CLG to justify pushing back the introduction of HIPs to the full market on 1st June.

The difference between the two situations (according to CLG) was that the former was dealt with by making the Home Condition Report a voluntary document and creating my job - the Domestic Energy Assessor. The latter was dealt with by simply delaying the roll out by 2 months then phasing in the scheme.

Actually, chartered surveyors would not have been able to produce HCRs. They would have had to undertake additional training to produce them and would then have to compete with the new breed of surveyor - the HI. Still, RICS are doing ALL EPCs in Scotland in 2009 as part of the 'single survey' so its not all doom and gloom for them :)

Who knows what went on behind the scenes, I doubt we'll ever know but HIPs are here now in their present form but it will evolve.

HCRs are being done to some extent on a voluntary basis but take up has been minimal I understand.

Regarding the HCR, yes - many feel it would better serve the public to have one independent report available to all prospective buyers rather than each buyer commissioning their own report. Currently the situation is profitable for RICS but a waste of money for the rest of us.

We've still got the idea with the rest of it though. The EPC is available to all buyers at no cost (if the HIP is online) and while for many buyers a HCR would contain more pressing information than just the EPC on its own (the HCR contains an EPC) the option is still there and the market will respond if demand is sufficient as with all things.

Early estimates on the impact of the EPC on the rental market when it comes in in October 2008 are positive. Its a great idea IMO that tenants have the information to make an informed choice about the property they may rent. If anyone hasn't seen an example of an EPC yet give it a look - follow the link I put on an above post to the HIPVIEW site for an example.

As we're coming up to the new year now I just want to make it REALLY clear that if you currently have a house on the market without a HIP (as in it was put on before the introduction date) you won't need to get one in order to keep marketing the property past the new year.

If your estate agent or anyone else tells you otherwise, they're wrong. This date did have significance before but it is now meaningless.

I'm interested in eco-renovation and am trying to get information on the best types of house to look into and the most energy efficient building materials etc. How energy efficient can you make the average victorian terrace? What are the best options for achieving high energy efficiency? Can it make a significant difference to the price of the house?
Personally I think we should all make our houses as energy efficient as possible for ethical reasons but I was wondering what the realistic cash benefits are for renovation and selling on?
I'm trying to persuade my partner who is sceptical, that eco-renovation is worthwhile!

would you ask to see hips before you bought a home?
would it put you off buying a home?
no
just another rip off for the home owner yet again,

I'm not talking about HIPs (I don't know enough about them to comment yet), its the energy efficiency that I'm interested in, I don't know whether a low energy efficiency rating would stop me buying a house at the moment but with rising fuel prices its certainly becoming more of an issue for a lot of people (and thats without any ethical reasoning).
I do agree wholeheartedly that house buying/selling is a total nightmare though! Perhaps we need a cultural shift back towards people putting down roots and moving less often. We could all save a lot of money and heartache!

would you ask to see hips before you bought a home?
would it put you off buying a home?
no
just another rip off for the home owner yet again,

All due respect but you've completely misunderstood how HIPs are used. Contrary to what the Government tells you HIPs are a solicitors information pack. The only document of use to the buyer is the energy report and perhaps some of the optional documents that only quality providers include e.g. home use and contents forms.

Buyers don't ask to see the HIP because its basically everything solicitors were using before but instead of them ordering at the end its ordered at the start and paid for by the Vendor. Try telling your buyer to ask for a discount on their conveyancing because the seller is paying for their disbursements (seriously!)

I'm interested in eco-renovation and am trying to get information on the best types of house to look into and the most energy efficient building materials etc. How energy efficient can you make the average victorian terrace? What are the best options for achieving high energy efficiency? Can it make a significant difference to the price of the house?
Personally I think we should all make our houses as energy efficient as possible for ethical reasons but I was wondering what the realistic cash benefits are for renovation and selling on?
I'm trying to persuade my partner who is sceptical, that eco-renovation is worthwhile!

You can use any energy report in a HIP to compare any house for sale in the country with any other. Energy Performance Certificates are directly comparable. The information is available for free to the buyer so just ask to see it - most HIPs are available online now too so you won't have to wait for the info.

You can make your average victorian property very energy efficient. Precisely how would depend on the property e.g. if you have damp problems in the loft that would need to be remedied before an energy assessor could recommend 250mm loft insulation. Also, it can be expensive to improve a property of this type as there are no grants available for solid wall insulation/dry lining as there are for cavity wall insulation. I'm assuming the property has solid walls (cavity walls have been around since before the turn of the century).

Is it worth it to improve the house before selling? Depends on the improvement I'd say - the EPC breaks down each recommendation by cost saving so if cavity wall insulation will save £350 over a year and fitting double glazing would save £70 you know where your priorities are.

Again, I can't go into detail about what you can do without inspecting the property really! If you are thinking of putting your property on the market in less than a year you could order an EPC now (it can be up to a year old by the time it goes in the pack). This would give you the advice you need and still enable you to include it in your HIP.

Quick question

I who have sold the house, the buyer who now lives in the house have not ever seen the report, i am now being chased for the money,, who should have seen the report and where will it be now, the house was sold in Jan.

Thanks

Quick question

I who have sold the house, the buyer who now lives in the house have not ever seen the report, i am now being chased for the money,, who should have seen the report and where will it be now, the house was sold in Jan.

Thanks

It entirely depends! Your first port of call should be your buyers solicitor. they are the user of the pack and therefore are likely to still have it. Some buyers solicitors send the packs to the buyer when they've done the conveyancing but if the buyer is chasing you then this is unlikely. Many packs are also available online - does your pack provider do this? If so find out what portal they use and search on the portal e.g. www.hipview.co.uk or www.hipfolio.co.uk

If you commissioned the pack call the pack provider and ask them where they sent the hard copy if applicable.

If your estate agent was paranoid about passing out the HIP for fear of losing you as a client to a rival agent they may well still have the HIP in their office.

In short try:
the estate agent
the pack provider
your conveyancer
your buyers conveyancer
(possibly also) the buyer's mortgage lender but this is unlikely.

Good luck on your HIP hunt!

As a last resort look on the 'EPC Graphs which the estate agent should have included on the sales particulars (by law). At the top of the graphs should be a 16 digit number. Take this 16 digit number and copy it into this webpage: https://www.hcrregister.com/ReportRetrieve which should yield the Energy Performance Certificate.

If your estate agent was paranoid about passing out the HIP for fear of losing you as a client to a rival agent they may well still have the HIP in their office.

Really!! Surely if you paid for the pack, then it's yours to do with as you wish..

Buyers don't ask to see the HIP...

I must be in the nosey part of the population as I've asked to see the HIP on the properties I've put on offer against. Obviously the energy cert has some info about any extra work doing and I find the searches/land reg can give info about any covenants or restrictions...

Plus I find them interesting in a weird sort of way :D

Really!! Surely if you paid for the pack, then it's yours to do with as you wish..

Yes, it is but in my experience people look to the estate agent for everything be it conveyancing, HIPs , surveys - people ask the agent for advice. Many agents are now realising the HIP providers have growing power to direct vendors to whichever agent they see fit/whichever agent pays them the highest referral fee (it happens). Some agents tell the vendor that they will keep the pack in case the buyer asks for it. Quite a large proportion of agents do this to keep vendors drifting away from them - i.e. use the pack as leverage.

Having said that most agents are straight down the line. Its just the 'bad apples' I'm talking about. This is a bad time for agents (increasingly). Lots of property on the market and no-ones buying because house prices are falling. Sellers want to get rid before the bubble bursts and they can get maximum return but buyers don't want to end up in negative equity!

Hard up agents breeds irrational behaviour.

I must be in the nosey part of the population as I've asked to see the HIP on the properties I've put on offer against. Obviously the energy cert has some info about any extra work doing and I find the searches/land reg can give info about any covenants or restrictions...

Plus I find them interesting in a weird sort of way :D

I'd say you were in the minority yes. Most people I've provided packs to can't understand the contents, particularly the searches. Hence why I describe HIPs as 'solicitors information packs' because the end user of the pack will always be the buyers solicitor but only occasionally the buyer themselves (e.g. you).

EPC aside that is. Most buyers are interested in that as you say. Most sellers are interested too. I've had a few raised eyebrows from sellers with the recommendations I make "I didn't know you could do that" etc :lol:

I've been given a quote from a solicitor for the purchase of a property, and they've mentioned "search fees of approximately £400... land registry fees of £220..."

Isn't the search information already included in the HIP, or is there more work to be done that isn't covered by the HIP? Is my solicitor trying to get me to pay for work that someone else has already done?

I've been given a quote from a solicitor for the purchase of a property, and they've mentioned "search fees of approximately £400... land registry fees of £220..."

Isn't the search information already included in the HIP, or is there more work to be done that isn't covered by the HIP? Is my solicitor trying to get me to pay for work that someone else has already done?

Hi Clockender.

The HIP includes as a minimum Local Authority search and a water and drainage search (this isn't a flood search). Assuming the sellers HIP doesn't contain any extra searches the solicitor may possibly be charging for any number of searches - most common in South Yorkshire is the Mining search for obvious reasons. I'd ask for a breakdown of their charges e.g. how much for bankruptcy search / final land registry check. At £400 I'd want a breakdown if thats over and above what you were quoted for basic conveyancing.

The HIP does include land registry documents but this is different from the buyers solicitor role with the land registry. The sol has to pay out quite alot of money to the land registry in order to 'log' the transaction with them and I believe the amount paid is based on the value of the property.

Does your solicitor already have the HIP from the seller/their agent? If not you could chase it for them which will speed up matters.

Hope it goes smoothly.

Thanks :) Thought I should just get my facts straight before I start complaining!

Hi, does it check that the boiler is the correct size for the house? I ask because we looked at a recently extended property which had added three extra rooms to the original house but the boiler was around 20 years old they said & didn't know what its output was "but it was in good working order". The house was put on sale before it needed a HIP

Hi, does it check that the boiler is the correct size for the house? I ask because we looked at a recently extended property which had added three extra rooms to the original house but the boiler was around 20 years old they said & didn't know what its output was "but it was in good working order". The house was put on sale before it needed a HIP

Well, the energy performance certificate does estimate what the heating requirements of the property are based partly on how big the place is and what the heating arrangements are. You could compare this to any literature retained by the vendor but in reality this may be of limited use considering the ever increasing cost of gas.

If I were you I'd call the boiler manufacturer and ask them. They will be able to advise you on the size of boiler required for the increased property size. Regardless of whether the boiler is still appropriate they will most likely recommend you replace it with a condensing type as indeed would the if one were available (most likely).

What the EPC would tell you that the heating company can't is how much money you would save over the course of a single year if you replaced the boiler.

In case you are wondering no date has yet been set when the property in question will require a HIP but the fact that it doesn't have one might be an indication that it could be worth asking some £ off the selling price. If it has 4 or more bedrooms it will have been on the market at least from the end of July 07!
Perhaps there is a reason it hasn't sold?

Besides the wider spectre of negative equity for buyers I mean :hihi:

We've got an offer in on a house so I just went down to the estate agent and asked to see the HIP. I was told I wasn't allowed to see it, that I would have to pay £15 to see it and get the vendor's permission first. Then I was told that if I did want to see it, I could download it from hipworld.com - but that site doesn't exist. I was also told that the HIP wasn't actually ready yet anyway because they are waiting on some local authority searches.

So, some questions - can the property be marketed when the HIP isn't complete? Am I entitled to see the HIP or is it for my solicitor only if my offer is accepted? If I am allowed to see the HIP, do I have to pay? Do I have to get the vendor's permission? And is there anywhere to see them online?

Thanks, Harriet

We've got an offer in on a house so I just went down to the estate agent and asked to see the HIP. I was told I wasn't allowed to see it, that I would have to pay £15 to see it and get the vendor's permission first. Then I was told that if I did want to see it, I could download it from hipworld.com - but that site doesn't exist. I was also told that the HIP wasn't actually ready yet anyway because they are waiting on some local authority searches.

So, some questions - can the property be marketed when the HIP isn't complete? Am I entitled to see the HIP or is it for my solicitor only if my offer is accepted? If I am allowed to see the HIP, do I have to pay? Do I have to get the vendor's permission? And is there anywhere to see them online?

Thanks, Harriet

Which agent is this/
Just ask the vendor directly
You shouldnt have to pay

We've got an offer in on a house so I just went down to the estate agent and asked to see the HIP. I was told I wasn't allowed to see it, that I would have to pay £15 to see it and get the vendor's permission first. Then I was told that if I did want to see it, I could download it from hipworld.com - but that site doesn't exist. I was also told that the HIP wasn't actually ready yet anyway because they are waiting on some local authority searches.

So, some questions - can the property be marketed when the HIP isn't complete? Am I entitled to see the HIP or is it for my solicitor only if my offer is accepted? If I am allowed to see the HIP, do I have to pay? Do I have to get the vendor's permission? And is there anywhere to see them online?

Thanks, Harriet

Hi Harriet,

You are legally entitled to see the HIP as is your solicitor at any point. If you ask for it in hard copy form the person responsible for marketing the property (agent or seller) is allowed to make a reasonable charge to give you a hard copy but most HIPs are available online for free. You don't have to get the vendor's permission if an agent is marketing their property. The agent can refuse you access to the HIP if they believe you aren't a legitimate buyer.

If the HIP isn't complete yet thats fair enough grounds for refusal. Personally if I was the HIP provider I'd let you see it as is but its their call I guess. How long has it been on the market? Efficient HIP providers usually take 1 week to 10 days to complete a basic HIP.

I suspect the HIP is listed on www.hipsworld.com rather than hipworld. Ask the HIP provider directly how to access it - i don't use the site myself as a HIP provider, only as an EPC supplier to HIPSWORLD so I don't know their procedures.

You can legally market the property once the HIP has been ordered which means the HIP has been paid for or an undertaking to pay has been entered into.

Hi,

Thanks for your help. Yes, I think it must be hipworld, I don't have the log in details though, I'll have to ask the agent. Our offer has now been accepted, so I think we ought to be able to see the HIP. The property has been on the market about 6 weeks now.

Six weeks and the HIP still isn't finished? OMG! Pity they didn't use an independent pack provider www.ippa.org.uk (http://www.ippa.org.uk) - usual turnaround times are as I said about a week depending on the local authority.

IPPA

I agree chriserenity. Its a shame that people like that are offering their services.

You could use EPC ASSESSORS (http://www.apdd.co.uk) and you coudl have HIP back within a week. Energy Performance Certificate you could expect within one day.

EPC providers (pawel@apdd.co.uk)

Hi, I have a question please. I have managed to download a copy of our HIP from one of the websites you recommended on this thread, but my question is as this was a HIP arranged by our Estate Agent, if we decide to switch agents will we have to have another HIP done with the new agent or can we just give them the copy of the one I have downloaded.
We really aren't happy with our Estate Agent and want to change but if this is going to incur extra HIP costs then we will probably have to keep kicking them up the backside to actually do something.

hi
my names mike from hipsolutionsuk

in relation to your thread if you have alrady paid for the hip you are free to go elsewhere and your hip is still valid
however,
estate agencys offer the hip free of charge ( or £30.00 ) and you then pay the rest once sold
this is a way of keeping your business and even if you do decide to leave the agent they will request payment and this could be upto £500.00
to all you people out there my advice is......
if you purchase your own hip you will save a very considerable amount of money and you are free to choose which ever agent you want and also your hip will be transferrable as you will own this out rright
please visit hipsolutionuk for low cost hips/epc and order securly as we use paypal so people know they are going to receive exactly what they have ordered


01142 844411

How long is the information in the HIP valid for?

Ignore this, I have found the info.

criserenity, my had my hip done through my estate agent ,is it usual for them to be on line, as I thought I should have got the paperwork .
many thanks Pam

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