Conveyancing searches
When selling my own property,What Searches are carried out and why? - In the Uk, when you now sell a property, you are obliged to provide information regarding your property that is not just about the physical structure. Most of this information is now provided to the buyer within the form of a Home Information Pack (HIP). However, ’searches’ is a term loosely used by conveyancers and estate agents. Here is a brief explanation of some of the searches involved in a property sale:
Local authority search - If there is a Home Information Pack (HIP) this search will be included in it. This search reveals details of matters such as the planning history, proposals for new road schemes, planning breaches, tree
preservation orders, conservation areas and other matters over which the council have control and may affect the enjoyment or value of the property. Your mortgage lender (if any) will require you to have one of these.
What is a Home Information Pack?
What is a Home Information Pack?
A Home Information Pack (”HIP”) contains important information that buyers and sellers need to know about a property. The Pack includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), containing advice on how to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills. Also included are documents such as a sale statement, searches and evidence of title. Packs are now required for the sale of four bedroom properties and larger. Smaller properties will be phased in as soon as sufficient energy assessors are fully qualified. The seller orders and pays for the HIP at the point where a property is put on the market. It is provided to the Buyer free of charge. If you are a seller, we can arrange for a HIP to be prepared on your behalf. For further details, contact us on: 01480 434290 or zoe@gatehouseestates.co.uk
For sellers, providing a Pack upfront should reduce the likelihood of any nasty surprises in the selling process that could delay the sale, as buyers will be able to make more informed decisions about purchasing their home.
For buyers, the Pack provides essential information about properties they are considering buying, free of charge.
