A home information pack (HIP) provides key selling information about a house, up front and in a standard format. The information is objective and is intended to be useful to buyers, sellers and conveyancers.
It contains information that a buyer may find useful, for example if planning permission has been granted nearby, or the property is in a conservation area, and information about how energy efficient the house is. This information was previously available to buyers only after their offer was accepted, which has caused sales to be renegotiated or collapse entirely, for example if a local search comes back showing planning permission has been granted for work taking place close to the property.
The HIP is also designed to shorten the conveyancing process. Local searches, Land Registry documents and other information is usually ordered by the buyer's conveyancer once the sale has been agreed. By requiring these documents in the HIP, they are already ordered and usually received and verified by the time the property is sale agreed. This significantly reduces the time from sale agreed to completion, which in turn reduces the chance of the sale falling through.
Packs contain information about the property, its title plan, evidence of title, standard searches and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Newly completed properties require an Interim Energy Assessment, or Predicted Energy Assessment for properties not physically complete.
Leasehold or commonhold properties require additional documents such as managing agent details, a copy of the lease and recent service charge accounts and receipts.
Some other information can be included if it's relevant to the property. There are regulations defining exactly what can and can't be included in a pack. A notable exception is that advertising cannot be included (with the exception of an estate agent's logo).
There's no need to worry about what can be included or not – the MDA Advantage system keeps track of this for you. The system will ensure that you include all of the 'required' or compulsory documents, and will allow you to include only documents that are required or authorised within the regulations.