APP Inspections & Energy Services
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
From 1st August 2007 the house buying and selling market in England and Wales has changed for the forseeable future as HM Government attempts to improve the experience with the introduction of Home Information Packs. All properties marketed for sale (with very few exceptions) now require a pack. This has finally put an end to the period of uncertainty.
The established route to obtain a HIP (for many property sellers) will be to instruct their Estate Agent to act on their behalf, who would then contact a HIP provider. However, this is not the only option, for those wishing to have more input into the HIP, and wishing to obtain a competitively priced HIP, there are various alternatives.
Under the current transitional regulations, a HIP has to be commissioned prior to the property being advertised for sale, but does not have to exist at the point of marketing.
From April 2009, HM Government will revise the regulations to enforce "first day marketing", where the HIP must be in existence before the property can be advertised to the market.
Two important points for the homeowner to consider:
1) You are free to commission your HIP from wherever you wish, it is about the property, not the Estate Agent.
2) A "free" Home Information Pack is usually not the great deal it is cracked up to be! (ask what the restrictions are)
APP Inspections & Energy Services were not intending to provide Home Information Packs at the outset of these new regulations being introduced, but much water has flowed under the bridge in the early days, and a revised business model is now available. APP Inspections & Energy Services in conjunction with well established West Yorkshire based HIP providers, will jointly be able to produce the entire HIP, with the Energy Performance Certificate always being carried out by APPI, or a member of APPI's local network of Home Inspectors and Domestic Energy Assessors*. In addition, the original business model of being able to assist the private individual in being able to form a direct relationship with any of a small number of HIP providers, independent to the Estate Agent route, is still available.
These approaches can have advantage in such situations as:
Wishing to remove one link of the chain (and hence an element of the cost) of the
process of commissioning a HIP.
Wishing to have independence and freedom of choice in the HIP process.
Wishing to direct market your own property.
Wishing to engage more than one Estate Agent, but create only one HIP.
Wishing to change Estate Agent, the independent HIP can also transfer, being "neutral" branded.
The Cost:
In an attempt to satisfy the differing demands of customers, it has been necessary to source 2 HIP compilers. One of these produces a high quality printed document, as well as the usual PIN coded access to a web viewer, the other provides a no frills package, with access via a PIN coded web viewer, with no printed document.
The basic cost of a Home Information Pack commissioned from APPI as from 1st July 2008 is as follows (due to increasing competion in the HIP market these prices represent a SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION over our previously published rates):
Including high quality printed document
Any property up to and inc 6 bedrooms....£262.77 plus vat (total £299.63)*
All properties larger than 6 bedrooms......Please enquire
Web viewer access only-no printed document.
Any property up to and inc 6 bedrooms....£231.78 plus vat (total £268.80)*
All properties larger than 6 bedrooms......Please enquire
*Some of the elements of the cost build up are 0 rated for vat, so the figures quoted do not equate to the base price plus 17.5%.
Please note the basic cost HIP includes for a freehold property whose details are previously registered with the Land Registry Office. It includes all the items listed below under 'must contain' (local authority searches will be performed by a private search company).
Please note: In the interests of keeping the price as low as possible to the paying customer, the costs quoted are for payment by cheque or cash at the time of the Energy Assessment visit to the property. Credit terms are available, but do add to the cost.
Additional cost will be necessary for any of the following elements, although these will only apply to a small %age of properties, mainly flats and those properties which have not changed ownership for about 20 years. Additional cost for these elements is likely to be the case no matter who you approach:
Property not registered at Land Registry Office.
Properties subject to Leasehold or Commonhold law.
Home Condition Report.
Searches carried out by Local Authority.
Additional searches and reports.
For your information and understanding:-
A Home Information Pack must contain the following:
Index
Energy Performance Certificate
Sale statement
Evidence of title (freehold/commonhold/leasehold)
Land charges, local authority and drainage and water searches
A Home Information Pack can contain the following (as authorised documents):
Home Condition Report, including any evidence of remedial works subsequently carried out
Warranties, insurance policies and guarantees
Information regarding design and standards of the property
A summary or explanation of any pack document
Information identifying the property (map, plan or drawing)
Information about the source of pack dcuments, redress procedures etc
Additional Land Registry title documents
Documents relating to a freehold estate in commonhold land
Documents relating to leasehold property interests
Supplementary searches, ie mining, environmental hazards, rights of way, common land etc
Searches relating to adjacent land
Document referred to in a search report, ie map
Home contents and home use standard forms
A Home Information Pack must not contain:
A Home Condition Report that has been commissioned by a previous seller of the property
A Home Condition Report prepared by anyone not a member of an approved certification scheme
Advertising information
This information has been extracted from The Home Information Pack Regulations 2007 Procedural Guidance issued by HM government.
A Home Information Pack from APPI will include:
A high quality printed document (depending on the route chosen above)
The Energy Performance assessment being carried out by someone you are made aware of PRIOR
to the appointment
The supply of a coded link to a web viewer, for viewing the HIP in electronic form via a computer
(it is likely your Estate Agent/solicitor/conveyancer would prefer this form)
The supply of the "Asset Rating Graphs" (rainbow graphs) to a nominated Estate Agent of your
choice-for inclusion in the sales particulars.
APPI would welcome the opportunity to work with property professionals and the general public alike, to produce a quality HIP document at what we believe is a very reasonable cost.
*At times of unavailability, APP Inspections & Energy Services reserve the right to appoint a suitable local Energy Assessor in their stead, or to provide an alternative route to the HIP, via a local, trusted associate (sourced from a small network of 2-3 independents, like ourselves).
The established route to obtain a HIP (for many property sellers) will be to instruct their Estate Agent to act on their behalf, who would then contact a HIP provider. However, this is not the only option, for those wishing to have more input into the HIP, and wishing to obtain a competitively priced HIP, there are various alternatives.
Under the current transitional regulations, a HIP has to be commissioned prior to the property being advertised for sale, but does not have to exist at the point of marketing.
From April 2009, HM Government will revise the regulations to enforce "first day marketing", where the HIP must be in existence before the property can be advertised to the market.
Two important points for the homeowner to consider:
1) You are free to commission your HIP from wherever you wish, it is about the property, not the Estate Agent.
2) A "free" Home Information Pack is usually not the great deal it is cracked up to be! (ask what the restrictions are)
APP Inspections & Energy Services were not intending to provide Home Information Packs at the outset of these new regulations being introduced, but much water has flowed under the bridge in the early days, and a revised business model is now available. APP Inspections & Energy Services in conjunction with well established West Yorkshire based HIP providers, will jointly be able to produce the entire HIP, with the Energy Performance Certificate always being carried out by APPI, or a member of APPI's local network of Home Inspectors and Domestic Energy Assessors*. In addition, the original business model of being able to assist the private individual in being able to form a direct relationship with any of a small number of HIP providers, independent to the Estate Agent route, is still available.
These approaches can have advantage in such situations as:
Wishing to remove one link of the chain (and hence an element of the cost) of the
process of commissioning a HIP.
Wishing to have independence and freedom of choice in the HIP process.
Wishing to direct market your own property.
Wishing to engage more than one Estate Agent, but create only one HIP.
Wishing to change Estate Agent, the independent HIP can also transfer, being "neutral" branded.
The Cost:
In an attempt to satisfy the differing demands of customers, it has been necessary to source 2 HIP compilers. One of these produces a high quality printed document, as well as the usual PIN coded access to a web viewer, the other provides a no frills package, with access via a PIN coded web viewer, with no printed document.
The basic cost of a Home Information Pack commissioned from APPI as from 1st July 2008 is as follows (due to increasing competion in the HIP market these prices represent a SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION over our previously published rates):
Including high quality printed document
Any property up to and inc 6 bedrooms....£262.77 plus vat (total £299.63)*
All properties larger than 6 bedrooms......Please enquire
Web viewer access only-no printed document.
Any property up to and inc 6 bedrooms....£231.78 plus vat (total £268.80)*
All properties larger than 6 bedrooms......Please enquire
*Some of the elements of the cost build up are 0 rated for vat, so the figures quoted do not equate to the base price plus 17.5%.
Please note the basic cost HIP includes for a freehold property whose details are previously registered with the Land Registry Office. It includes all the items listed below under 'must contain' (local authority searches will be performed by a private search company).
Please note: In the interests of keeping the price as low as possible to the paying customer, the costs quoted are for payment by cheque or cash at the time of the Energy Assessment visit to the property. Credit terms are available, but do add to the cost.
Additional cost will be necessary for any of the following elements, although these will only apply to a small %age of properties, mainly flats and those properties which have not changed ownership for about 20 years. Additional cost for these elements is likely to be the case no matter who you approach:
Property not registered at Land Registry Office.
Properties subject to Leasehold or Commonhold law.
Home Condition Report.
Searches carried out by Local Authority.
Additional searches and reports.
For your information and understanding:-
A Home Information Pack must contain the following:
Index
Energy Performance Certificate
Sale statement
Evidence of title (freehold/commonhold/leasehold)
Land charges, local authority and drainage and water searches
A Home Information Pack can contain the following (as authorised documents):
Home Condition Report, including any evidence of remedial works subsequently carried out
Warranties, insurance policies and guarantees
Information regarding design and standards of the property
A summary or explanation of any pack document
Information identifying the property (map, plan or drawing)
Information about the source of pack dcuments, redress procedures etc
Additional Land Registry title documents
Documents relating to a freehold estate in commonhold land
Documents relating to leasehold property interests
Supplementary searches, ie mining, environmental hazards, rights of way, common land etc
Searches relating to adjacent land
Document referred to in a search report, ie map
Home contents and home use standard forms
A Home Information Pack must not contain:
A Home Condition Report that has been commissioned by a previous seller of the property
A Home Condition Report prepared by anyone not a member of an approved certification scheme
Advertising information
This information has been extracted from The Home Information Pack Regulations 2007 Procedural Guidance issued by HM government.
A Home Information Pack from APPI will include:
A high quality printed document (depending on the route chosen above)
The Energy Performance assessment being carried out by someone you are made aware of PRIOR
to the appointment
The supply of a coded link to a web viewer, for viewing the HIP in electronic form via a computer
(it is likely your Estate Agent/solicitor/conveyancer would prefer this form)
The supply of the "Asset Rating Graphs" (rainbow graphs) to a nominated Estate Agent of your
choice-for inclusion in the sales particulars.
APPI would welcome the opportunity to work with property professionals and the general public alike, to produce a quality HIP document at what we believe is a very reasonable cost.
*At times of unavailability, APP Inspections & Energy Services reserve the right to appoint a suitable local Energy Assessor in their stead, or to provide an alternative route to the HIP, via a local, trusted associate (sourced from a small network of 2-3 independents, like ourselves).
<
