How long will it take before I receive my HIP?

Some HIP providers are quoting around 10 working days, however at Countrywide HIPS, we aim to have the HIP available to you within 5 - 7 working days.


When can I put my property on the market?

As soon as you have ordered your HIP with us you can proceed to market your property straight away. You will receive confirmation that the HIP has been commissioned, and this can also be forwarded to your estate agents as proof.


What if I am selling my property privately?

If you are marketing your property, even if it's just by putting a 'for sale' sign in the window, you need a Pack. Sales where no marketing takes place (e.g. to a member of the family) won't need a Pack.

How long is the pack valid for?

The pack will be valid for as long as the property is marketed for sale. The Regulations allow for a period where the property might be taken off the market due for example, to the seller is changing Agents or where the property has previously been under offer. The only time aspect of the pack is the local searches which are valid for a maximum of 6 months.

Why choose Countrywide HIPS to produce your Home Information Pack?

At Countrywide HIPS we have a team of professionals some of which have been in the industry for over 30 years. When you purchase one of our HIP packs as well as a competitive price you can be sure you will be getting a fully comprehensive pack that fully meets the government requirements

Please click on link Get a Hips Quote to get an instant HIP quote or click on our HIPS Explained section to find out more information on HIPS. Alternatively you can contact our Customer Service team on 020 85973131 for more information or email us at info@chipservices.co.uk

Which properties are exempt from requiring a HIP?

• Properties where there is no marketing (e.g. sale to member of your family)
• Non-residential properties
• Seasonal and holiday accommodation
• Mixed sales (e.g. shop with flat)
• Right to buy and similar sales
• Sales of portfolios of properties
• Properties not being sold with completely vacant possession
• Unsafe properties and properties to be demolished.
• Properties already on the market when the duty to have a Pack arises (eg. 1 August for sales of homes of four bedrooms and above)

I have the opportunity for a quick sale, what must be in place first?

Only the EPC must be a completed document before exchange of contracts can take place. There is no duty for the rest of the information to be in place at this time.

The index of the HIP will provide information to the buyer as to when the other documents can be expected and other relevant information.

How long does someone have to produce a HIP?

Normally 28 days from first point of marketing. If however certain documents are proving hard to obtain a further extension of four weeks is permitted to obtain these documents.

Who sees the HIP?

Potential buyers have a right to see the HIP and should be provided with a copy within 14 days of requesting to do so. Please note buyers also have the option to purchase additional hard copies of the HIP from us as we only officially supply one hard copy and another copy in a PDF Format file.

What if I started marketing before the respective 1 & 2 (14 December), 3 (10 September) and 4 (1 August) bedroom deadlines?

You will not need a HIP in this case. There may be a point in 2008 whereby if your property remains unsold you may need a HIP but this deadline has yet to be announced and we will revise this section when necessary.

If you remove the property from the market because you have received an offer and the sale falls through you can re-market the property without a HIP provided you do so within 28 days of the sale falling through.

If you change your estate agents you will still need a HIP as long as marketing remains continuous

Who is responsible for the contents of the Pack?

The person responsible for marketing the property, usually the estate agent, is responsible for obtaining a Home Information Pack, of which there are certain required documents that the Pack must contain. Where documents are missing or where there is a delay in obtaining information, this will be noted in the index.

This person, however, is not accountable for any inaccuracies in documents that have been produced by others, such as HIP providers. The person providing a particular document in the Pack should be responsible for the accuracy of that document.