Home Information Packs, more commonly known as HIPs, kick in today. Estate agents have been warned they will lose their jobs if they encourage vendors to bend or break the HIPs rules.

As of today, all properties with four bedrooms or more which go on sale on the open market must have a HIP. The HIP contains an evaluation of certain features of the property such as it’s energy efficient, evidence of ownership, local search information and copies of any planning or building consent.

HIPs were originally planned to be launched on 1 June 2007 however there were concerns that there were not enough qualified energy assessors to provide the Energy Performance Certificates therefore the launch date was pushed back two months. In the future, all homes will have to have a HIP – although the date for the introduction of the HIPs for all homes has yet to be decided.

The cost of a HIP should be around the £350-£500 mark – a relatively small amount when you consider the amount spent on marketing and selling your home. It is possible for homeowners to compile the information packs themselves, however it is expected that the majority of homeowners will use a professional to compile one. If you want to know more, we have a guide to HIPs here.

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