[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]People hoping to sell a home need to understand recent changes to the law surrounding Home Information Packs (HIPs) if they wish to avoid unnecessary delays.
Three key changes to HIPs were introduced on the 6th April which has implications for anyone looking to put their home on the market.
Firstly, the temporary first day marketing exemption has been removed, which means that all sellers must now have a HIP available from the moment that their home is advertised for sale.
Secondly a HIP must also now include a compulsory new element, called a ‘Property Information Questionnaire’ (PIQ), which summarises key information about the property such as council tax band, parking arrangements, and details of any structural changes made.
Finally all personal searches included in the HIP must be complete as it will no longer be possible use insurance to cover missing data.
Gamlins believes that these new requirements place even more responsibility on sellers to plan and organise every aspect of their sale well in advance. Selling a home has never been a smooth, straightforward task and now it’s even more important that people fully understand everything that needs to be done before they place their property on the market.
Whilst we are confident that any good estate agent will ensure that their clients are fully aware of what to do there is a growing proportion of vendors who prefer to sell property privately often through web-based outlets.
The reality is that anyone selling a home, with or without an estate agent, now needs to ensure that they are fully aware of all the steps that they are legally obliged to take. The safest way of doing so is simply to talk through the whole process with an experienced property lawyer, who will happily provide all the information you need. Call us your nearest Gamlins office to arrange a meeting where we can go through a checklist with you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
