The principle idea behind HIPS is to make the home-buying process smoother and quicker.
Weather it will achieve this or not will become clearer in time.

Since December 14^th 2007 every home with less than 5 hectares (12.35 Acres) of land requires a home information pack when it is marketed. The HIP will include various searches and titles that would traditionally have been acquired by the purchaser's solicitor later in the buying process. It will also include a completely new concept - an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

The Energy Performance Certificate is generated by a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) who visits the property to observe things like floor area, heating systems, window type, property construction type and all the other elements that contribute towards the efficiency of and emissions from a property. The EPC will also give recommendations for how to improve this efficiency.

 Do not worry. The process of ordering a HIP and collation of the information will be carried out by ourselves and our HIP provider. Vendors will receive a hard copy, which can be shown to people that view their property, should the buyer request to see it. Our branches will also hold electronic copies.

If a property has a HIP, you will see the EPC graphic icon - on the link to the property details that takes you to the EPC graph for that property. Buyers can have sight of the hard copy of the full HIP on viewing a vendor's premises. To receive a hard copy, cleared payment would be required from the potential buyer in advance for us to arrange production of a bound copy for them. However, electronic copies will be available on request.