| Update on Home Information Pack |
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The debate will no doubt continue between the various professionals and associations involved, and it appears to us the arguments they favour very much depend upon how fees earned from the house moving process will be allocated between them. For our part, we see the advantage of HIP's as giving us the ability to identify and advise upon the potential problems that a property seller is likely to encounter when the sale has been negotiated, but at the earliest possible stage. There are several national HIP Providers, and the market appears to have settled quickly into the provision of a HIP online and with an emphasis on its early production. We view this as a mistake. HIP's should be prepared quickly and also electronically, but achieve nothing if the contents have not received the attention of a competent conveyancer who advises the seller what documentation is likely to be required by a buyer's solicitor, and whether there are inherent problems with the conveyancing documentation compiled and likely to be required post-sale. These issues range from the requirements for production of planning and other statutory consents and documentation for alterations, to the consideration of indemnity insurance against covenant breaches, or absence of rights. Invariably these difficulties arise, and often some weeks or months down the line. A Home Information Pack achieves nothing if the seller is not pre-warned and advised on such issues. Our e-conveyancing packages, developed entirely "in house", enable us to prepare a pack for a seller client without reference to an outside provider. This includes the provision of the necessary Energy Performance Certificate produced by competent and local surveyors. We provide our report or certificate on how best to deal with the issues that are likely to arise before exchange can be achieved. This is not always provided if a HIP is produced by a national provider whether via the selling agent or another solicitor. We have the expertise and knowledge to advise fully and independently and invite you to contact us before you commit elsewhere. Sellers should be in possession of the full facts before they enter into any arrangements with their selling agents, and certainly before they are committed to the expenses of having a pack prepared, even if this appears to be offered on a "free" basis - things in life are rarely that simple, and the small print is important, as Sellers discover to their expense when a sale is delayed or difficult. Contact us for a free of charge and informal chat about Home Information Packs via
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