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HIP? - What's In A Pack - Optional

Optional / Authorised

  • Home Condition Reports

  • Legal Summary

  • Home Use / Contents Forms

The optional parts of a Home Information Pack (known as 'authorised' documents) include the following:

Home Condition Reports

A Home Condition Report contains information about the physical condition of a property, which sellers, buyers and lenders will be able to rely on legally as an accurate report.

The Report is an important part of the Pack, and can be included by sellers on a voluntary basis.

Sellers who provide a Report will have an early opportunity to carry out repair work on the property or obtain quotes prior to marketing.

Buyers can use it at the beginning of the home-buying process to minimise the possibility of being faced with unexpected repair bills and other surprises.

Lenders can benefit by using the Reports to inform their valuations, reducing the need to repeat a detailed on-site inspection at the buyer's expense.

The Government believes there will be significant benefits to home sellers if they top up their Packs to include full Home Condition Reports, and that this is a product that the market can deliver. Communities and Local Government is working with stakeholders to facilitate the voluntary take-up of the full Report, and has invested resources in promoting and developing it for consumers. You can see a sample of a Home Condition Report on our Publications page.

Home Inspectors responsible for preparing Home Condition Reports will hold a qualification at NVQ Level 4 (equivalent to degree level), and will require in-depth knowledge and practical understanding of residential building construction and defects across a range of properties as set out in the approved National Occupational Standards for Home Inspectors. You can find out more about the standards on our industry site.

Legal Summary

Home Information Packs will contain some complex documents that can be difficult to understand. The optional summary of the legal content of the pack could therefore be very helpful to buyers, although it will not remove the need for buyers to take their own legal advice as well.