Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Home Information Pack?

A Home Owner who is intending sell their house must have a Home Information Pack to show to prospective purchasers.

Home Information Packs have been mandatory since 1st August 2007 for larger properties and since 14th December 2007 for all properties.

The Home Information Pack was created from the enactment of the Housing Act 2004 and was intended to contain documents that relate to the legal title, documents that relate to the condition of the house and documents that relate to the energy efficiency and what measures might be possible to reduce the fuel bills and reduce carbon emissions.

The Home Information Pack contains two types of documents. First it contains ‘Required’ documents which are documents that must be in the Report. Secondly it can contain ‘Authorised’ documents which are allowed to be there. All other documents are prohibited from inclusion.

The Energy Performance Certificate, the Water and Drainage Search, the Local Search and the Title are examples of the ‘Required’ documents. The Home Condition Report, the Environmental Searches and Planning Documents are examples of ‘Authorised’ documents.

The purpose of the Home Information Pack is to ensure all the necessary legal and supporting documents are available at the start of the sale process. This will result in a smoother process from initial marketing to final completion. It should also significantly reduce the number of sales that fall through part way causing considerable cost and inconvenience to both buyer and seller.

What is a Home Condition Report?

The Home Information Pack contains various documents and reports that relate to the house that is being sold. One such report is the Home Condition Report.

The Home Condition Report is an ‘Authorised’ document that is permitted to be included in the Home Information Pack.

Home Condition Reports are created by Home Inspectors who, like Surveyors, carry out a comprehensive inspection of property. They will identify those parts of the house where there is nothing wrong and those parts that are not fit for purpose and need urgent repair.

In addition, the Report will calculate the rebuilding cost of the house and this is helpful for insurance purposes. The Report is covered by indemnity insurance, can be relied upon by the Seller, the Purchaser and the Mortgage Company, and is more stringent than the Home Buyers Valuation undertaken by Surveyors. The Home Condition Report, however, is not as intensive as a full structural survey.

Who is the Home Inspector?

The Home Inspector is qualified with ABBE (Awarding Body for the Built Environment) to produce the Home Condition Report and the Energy Performance Certificate.

Home Inspectors qualify by attaining the Level 4 Diploma in Home Inspection, by being registered by an approved Accreditation Body such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and by carrying professional indemnity insurance.

They have a good working knowledge of building construction over the ages. In addition, they will be trained to apply RdSAP methodology to undertake Energy Performance inspections.

What is an Energy Performance Certificate?

The Home Information Pack may include a Home Condition Report, but it must contain an Energy Performance Certificate.

The Energy Performance Certificate is a mandatory document and is an evaluation of the energy efficiency of the house carried out by Home Inspectors and Domestic Energy Assessors.

Nearly 40% of energy consumption in the UK is attributable to home use and savings in the home can have the biggest impact on reducing energy use. In line with the British and European concern with global warning and carbon emissions, the Certificate grades the current thermal loss from the house, the efficiency of the heating system and recommends measures to improve on the heating system and insulations.

If a Home Condition Report is carried out by a Home Inspector, then they can include the Energy Performance Certificate as part of that service.

Who is the Domestic Energy Assessor?

The Domestic Energy Assessor is similarly qualified to produce an Energy Performance Certificate.

Domestic Energy Assessors qualify by attaining the Level 3 Diploma in Energy Assessment, by being licensed by an approved Accreditation Body such as the Building Research Establishment and by carrying professional indemnity insurance.

They will have a good working knowledge of the thermal transmittance of building materials - the ‘u’ values - and the performance factors of domestic heating systems. Using the dataset methodology of RdSAP, they measure the energy efficiency of domestic property, ranging from large detached houses to small purposes built flats.

Included in the Energy Performance Certificate will be recommendations on the cost effective measures needed to improve boiler efficiencies and reduce structural heat losses, thereby saving on fuel bills and reducing the carbon footprint of the house.