What's in a Home Information Pack?

The Home Information Pack contains important information that buyers and sellers need to know.

Properties marketed for sale from 14 December 2007 in England and Wales need a Home Information Pack.

Benefits for sellers

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.

Benifits for Buyers

For buyers, the Pack provides essential information about properties they are considering buying, free of charge.

What does a Pack contain?

Compulsory items.......The following compulsory documents must be included in a Home Information Pack.
Home Information Pack Index
  • The Index lists the documents contained in the Pack and provides a checklist for sellers, buyers, estate agents and enforcement authorities.
  • Where a document that must be included in the Pack is unavailable, the Index must say so, give the reason it is missing, and indicate what steps are being taken to obtain it.
  • Where documents are added to or removed from the Pack at a later stage, the Index should be revised accordingly.
Energy Performance Certificate
  • Energy Performance Certificates tell you how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A.
  • The Certificate also tells you, on a scale of A-G, about the impact the home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
  • The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings. The Certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save you money and help the environment.
  • Most sellers of newly built homes will have to provide a predicted assessment of the energy efficiency of the property, but a full Energy Performance Certificate should be provided to the buyer when the home is completed. See details of specific exemptions.

    • For More Information on Domestic Energy Assessments...........