Home information packs * HIPS * low interest mortgages * cheap conveyancing * buying property * selling a house * home information packs * sellers energy reports

Home information packs or HIPS are now compulsory for anyone selling a property with 3 or more bedrooms. If you are selling a house of three bedrooms or more, you will have to prepare a home information pack before putting the property up for sale. The idea is to make buying a property or selling your home fast and simple. Each HIP will include an energy performance certificate.

All this paperwork will undoubtedly add to the cost of selling a property and buying a home, so we have provided links to various services aimed at saving you money and making buying and selling a home less expensive.

A home information pack is intended to speed up the process of buying and selling a house by making the seller get hold of various documents prior to putting their house on the market. These documents are ones which the buyer previously had to get for themselves once they had found a house they wanted to buy.

Home information packs will contain documents such as local searches and copies of title deeds, as well as an energy performance certificate - basically a report on how energy efficient the home is with suggestions on how to cut fuel bills and carbon emissions.

To get a quote for a professionally prepared home information pack, please click here.

Originally, HIPs were due to be introduced in June 2007 for all properties. But in a last minute change of plan, the government decided to delay the introduction of HIPs until 1 August 2007. To begin with, HIPs were only required for homes with four bedrooms or more, but this has now been extended to properties with three or more bedrooms and will eventually be needed for all homes.

Only time will tell if Home Information Packs will really help and speed up the buying process or simply add to the cost of buying a property. In the meantime, the links above will help you save money in a number of ways.