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The Energicert Blog

HOME SELLER NEWS

Welcome to Energicert Ltd page of news about home buying process and energy saving, plus news for Landlord who rent out property.

Getting Tough

A compliance check on the content and accuracy of information contained within Home Information Packs is set to be carried out by Birmingham City Council.

The survey will aim to identify whether estate agents are making packs available at the appropriate time and whether the packs contain all the required documents, including the Energy Performance Certificate. Particular attention will be paid to the accuracy of local search information.

Trading Standards officers hope to visit around 25 per cent of the city’s estate agents in Birmingham and will concentrate efforts where it is already suspected that agents are marketing properties without HIPs.

The visits will not be done covertly, with officers announcing themselves and asking to see the HIPs relating to properties that are advertised.

Any obvious breaches of the HIP Regulations will be dealt with by way of on-the-spot Penalty Charge Notices.

More serious cases involving inaccurate information in HIPs will be considered under the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations.

Cllr Neil Eustace, the Chairman of Birmingham’s Public Protection Committee said: “The aim is to ensure that estate agents are competing fairly with each other and that consumers can have confidence in the quality of HIPs.”

Chris Neville, Head of Birmingham Trading Standards, added: “We are pleased to be working closely on this survey with the Property Codes Compliance Board and the Association of Home Information Pack Providers.”

October 09

Landlords jailed ….. read more here

Don't get stuck in jail, Energicert Ltd can now supply the full range of surveys, EPC's, Gas Safety Certificates, Electrical inspections and PET testing. We also carry out a dull inventory service for landlords

October 09

The Association of Information Pack Providers takes the fight to the Tories

AHIPP has taken a stand at the Tory Pary conference in Manchester this month to highlight the benifits of have having the EPC at the begining of the Home Buying process and the best way forweard to take the Home Information Pack HIP. Mike Ockenden, Director General of AHIPP, says the HIP should not be scrapped but improved.

AHIPP commissioned a Ipsos MORI poll, what emerged from this research is clear evidence that consumers believe the current home buying process is too slow and more upfront information is required than is currently provided by HIPs.

The headline findings show:
• 85% of those surveyed say that the need to obtain a HIP did not influence their decision about whether or not to sell their home.
• 60% said the information provided by the seller in the Property Information Questionnaire contained in the HIP is useful to buyers, with 73% saying it took less than 20 minutes to complete and 75% finding it easy to complete.
• A majority (57%) agree that home buyers should be provided with more upfront information about the condition of the property that they are buying.
• Only a minority (30%) disagreed that providing home buyers with more information about a property before making an offer would improve the buying and selling process.
• 82% agree that the process of buying and selling properties takes too long.

Read the full report here

September 09

Taken from http://whatstheidea.org.uk/blog/

HIP-Check Before You Buy.
Everyone likes to get a good deal on anything they want to purchase. However we all know that “cheap” does not always provides us with a good product or service. Nor does a more expensive product always deliver or be good value for the extra money paid. But in most cases we have an idea or “Yard Stick” to help us make a decision.

With homeowners having to purchase a Home Information Pack (HIP) for the first time, they do not have that “Yard Stick” or measure.

WHERE CAN YOU GET A HIP FROM?
A homeowner can obtain a HIP from the following;
An estate agent.
A solicitor.
A Home Information Pack Provider (HIPP). National, Local or via the internet.
The homeowner can DIY. But I would not advise that unless they have knowledge of the industry and the HIP regulations.

SO HERE ARE SOME TIPS BEFORE YOU PURCHASE A HIP.

Your estate agent (EA) will be your first thought or first port of call.
If the HIP fee is £350 (exc VAT) or more then ask what commission the EA is receiving.
You may have been attracted by the offer of a free HIP or a very cheap hip. You need to check the small print or you could end up paying a few hundred pounds if you leave that EA and want to take the HIP with you.
Also there may be a “Tie in Period”.
You may have to use their conveyancing (Could add up to the FULL cost of a HIP by them adding “Disbursements”). Plus the T & C may catch you out.
There have been about twenty HIPP gone into liquidation this year.
Always use a credit card that may protect you should you not receive your HIP.
Internet HIPs could also be “non-compliant”. The HMLR documents may be the ones that can be bought on line for about £4 each (for information ONLY). These documents are NOT authorised to be used in a HIP. Guess who pays for the proper searches to be included? Yes…You.

HOW TO GET A GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY AND SAFE HIP
Use a local HIPP. Check what consumer protection they provide to you and ask for it in writing. Are they members of or subscribe to AHIPP, Search Code, IPPA or IDEA. They may say they are, but check. If using a solicitor get an agreement on fees first.

Stay safe out there.

HIPs Are Working….
September 24th, 2009 Statistics released this morning, from Connells, claim that HIPs have speeded up the time between offer and exchange by an average of one week.

It is based on a sample of over 37,689 properties put on the market with Connells’ 466 branches after August 2, 2007, and which exchanged before September 11 this month. Of these, 29,844 properties had HIPs, and 7,845 properties were exempt – HIPs were introduced on a phased-in basis and some properties still do not require a HIP. This showed that vendors of second-hand properties with HIPs, exchanged contracts on their property on average seven calendar days faster than those without a HIP.

Mike Ockenden, director general of trade body AHIPP, said;
“These new statistics simply add to the growing body of evidence that directly contradicts the claims made by some critics of HIPs. The system as it stands may not be perfect but, as these results clearly show, HIPs have led to important improvements being made”.
“Whilst HIPs have not achieved all their objectives, we urge an incoming Government in 2010 to undertake a detailed review on which aspects are working and which are not, before making a decision”.

It is “hard facts” like this that the conservatives should be looking at before issuing their election manifest saying that they would abolish HIPs.

Competition on within the HIP market contines apace. Energicert Ltd continues to monitor how prices are going. To ensure that we are offering the best possible HIP to our customers, Energicert have become affilate members of The Association of Home Pack Providers. AHIPP membership ensures that as an Energicert customer, you are assured that the HIP provided imeets all the current regulations.

March 09

Major changes to HIP regulations

There are major changes to HIP regulations from April 6th 2009. The Government have announced that the ‘Temporary arrangement' that allowed a property to be marketed as long as a HIP had been commissioned and paid for, are to end. From April 1st 2009 a house holder is not able to offer property to the public unless the HIP is available for delivery.

Energicert Ltd can deliver the ‘Interim’ or ‘Lite’ HIP: PIQ, EPC and Land Registry Documents, normally within 24 hours of an order being placed with us.

Other changes in the HIP are that from the same date. The Government have announced that the HIP must now include the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ). The PIQ will be completed by the Householder and become one of the mandatory documents within the HIP.

The Energicert Ltd staff will be pleased to give you more information on the PIQ.

These are the adverts that the government are using to let you know about the changes in the HIP pack regulations.

HIPAdvert1

HIPadvert2

January and February Surveys

Energicert Ltd have carried out 32 surveys for Householders in Harrogate, Leeds, Bradford and farther afield during the months of January and February. Some of these have been associated with Home information packs and some have been for Landlords who require EPC's for their rental property portfolios.

Survey in Leeds

Energicert undertook to survey a block of 16 apartments in the city of Leeds, the average rating was slightly lower than the national average for that type of apartment.

October 08

Rental Properties EPC

This month has seen the introduction EPC requirement for rental properties to have an Energy Performance Certificate. Energicert Ltd have introduced a special service to Landlords with multiple units. Most EPC suppliers will charge per property price, but we at Energicert Ltd, believe it to be fairer to charge for the time of the Surveyor, plus the Lodgment fee, this can considerable reduce the cost per unit for an EPC. A rental property EPC at present is valid for 10 years. Why not get all your properties surveyed at one time.

NO HIP Required

If your property has been continually marketed before December 14th 2007, you do not need a HIP. However from October 1st 2008, you do need to have an EPC. Energicert Ltd have carried out many such surveys for house sellers to allow them to comply with the law.

August 08

Independent Home Information Pack

Most people will go to their Estate Agent or Solicitor to obtain their HIP, but the more astute home seller obtains an independent HIP. An independent HIP allows the Home Buyer to change Estate Agent as necessary or to pick their Solicitor for the legal service not just because they produced the HIP. An Independent HIP is often less expensive and gives the home owner the ownership of the HIP.

How long does a Pack last for?

First, there is no need for a seller to renew a HIP as long as the property remains on the market. But, if a seller decides to take the property off the market, they can remarket with the same HIP as long as they do so within 12 months of the first date the property was marketed. Where a property is taken off the market because an offer has been accepted, only for the transaction to fall through, the seller can remarket his home with the original HIP (even after one year) as long as remarketing starts within 28 days of the sale falling through. This flexibility means that the HIP has a shelf life of at least one year for sellers.

When should a Pack be available?

Under the temporary first day marketing provision, which ends on 31 December 2008, the production of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to the person responsible for marketing a property triggers the requirement for the rest of the HIP. This means that the 'basic HIP' should be prepared and made available once an EPC has been produced.

The view that a full HIP must always be compiled before it can be provided and shown to prospective buyers is misleading and non-compliant with the Regulations. It is essential that both estate agents and HIP providers understand and act on the need to prepare the basic HIP as soon as possible in the process so more people can fully benefit from the information it contains.

Domestic Energy Assessor

The Domestic Energy Assessor is the person who comes to carry out the survey on the premises. The number of Domestic Energy Assessors unfortunately continues to grow. The government felt that there was a need for 3,000 to 4,000 DEA’s , there are now over 11,000 accredited DEAs, this large number of Assessors coupled with a downturn in the English housing market is creating problems for people who have invested large amounts of money in their training and equipment.

EPC for Rental Properties

From October 1st 2008 all rental properties will require an Energy Performance Certificate. The DEA who surveys property for the HIP is also the person who will carry out the survey for rental properties.
The EPC for rented properties is valid for ten years, there is no need for Landlords to wait, get your property surveyed by an Energicert Ltd DEA now.

Instead of charging Landlords a fee per property, Energicert charge a fee for the surveyors time plus a small Lodgment fee. This method of charging for EPC can work out at less then £40 per property

Call today for your free quote and see how much you can save.

<Contact the Energicert team today to receive a quote>

HIP, epc, rental property epc, rental epc, home information pack, energy performance certificates, EPC, commercial epc, hips, selling house, buying house, harrogate, yorkshire, epc harrogate, hip harrogate, hip york, epc york, epc leeds, hip leeds, mike edward, house purchase, property selling, Leeds, DEA Training, energy saving, domestic energy assessor, Leeds, Bradford



<Home> - <Home Information Packs> - <Energy Performance Certificates> - <External sites> - <Contact us>
The Energicert Blog
HOME SELLER NEWS
Welcome to Energicert Ltd page of news about home buying process and energy saving, plus news for Landlord who rent out property.
	Getting Tough
	From Birminghamnewsroom.com A compliance check on the content and accuracy of information contained within Home Information Packs is set to be carried out by Birmingham City Council. The survey will aim to identify whether estate agents are making packs available at the appropriate time and whether the packs contain all the required documents, including the Energy Performance Certificate. Particular attention will be paid to the accuracy of local search information. Trading Standards officers hope to visit around 25 per cent of the city’s estate agents in Birmingham and will concentrate efforts where it is already suspected that agents are marketing properties without HIPs. The visits will not be done covertly, with officers announcing themselves and asking to see the HIPs relating to properties that are advertised. Any obvious breaches of the HIP Regulations will be dealt with by way of on-the-spot Penalty Charge Notices. More serious cases involving inaccurate information in HIPs will be considered under the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations. Cllr Neil Eustace, the Chairman of Birmingham’s Public Protection Committee said: “The aim is to ensure that estate agents are competing fairly with each other and that consumers can have confidence in the quality of HIPs.” Chris Neville, Head of Birmingham Trading Standards, added: “We are pleased to be working closely on this survey with the Property Codes Compliance Board and the Association of Home Information Pack Providers.”
	October 09
	Landlords jailed ….. read more here Don't get stuck in jail, Energicert Ltd can now supply the full range of surveys, EPC's, Gas Safety Certificates, Electrical inspections and PET testing. We also carry out a dull inventory service for landlords
	October 09
	The Association of Information Pack Providers takes the fight to the Tories AHIPP has taken a stand at the Tory Pary conference in Manchester this month to highlight the benifits of have having the EPC at the begining of the Home Buying process and the best way forweard to take the Home Information Pack HIP. Mike Ockenden, Director General of AHIPP, says the HIP should not be scrapped but improved. AHIPP commissioned a Ipsos MORI poll, what emerged from this research is clear evidence that consumers believe the current home buying process is too slow and more upfront information is required than is currently provided by HIPs. The headline findings show: • 85% of those surveyed say that the need to obtain a HIP did not influence their decision about whether or not to sell their home. • 60% said the information provided by the seller in the Property Information Questionnaire contained in the HIP is useful to buyers, with 73% saying it took less than 20 minutes to complete and 75% finding it easy to complete. • A majority (57%) agree that home buyers should be provided with more upfront information about the condition of the property that they are buying. • Only a minority (30%) disagreed that providing home buyers with more information about a property before making an offer would improve the buying and selling process. • 82% agree that the process of buying and selling properties takes too long. Read the full report here
	September 09
	Taken from http://whatstheidea.org.uk/blog/ HIP-Check Before You Buy. Everyone likes to get a good deal on anything they want to purchase. However we all know that “cheap” does not always provides us with a good product or service. Nor does a more expensive product always deliver or be good value for the extra money paid. But in most cases we have an idea or “Yard Stick” to help us make a decision. With homeowners having to purchase a Home Information Pack (HIP) for the first time, they do not have that “Yard Stick” or measure. WHERE CAN YOU GET A HIP FROM? A homeowner can obtain a HIP from the following; An estate agent. A solicitor. A Home Information Pack Provider (HIPP). National, Local or via the internet. The homeowner can DIY. But I would not advise that unless they have knowledge of the industry and the HIP regulations. SO HERE ARE SOME TIPS BEFORE YOU PURCHASE A HIP. Your estate agent (EA) will be your first thought or first port of call. If the HIP fee is £350 (exc VAT) or more then ask what commission the EA is receiving. You may have been attracted by the offer of a free HIP or a very cheap hip. You need to check the small print or you could end up paying a few hundred pounds if you leave that EA and want to take the HIP with you. Also there may be a “Tie in Period”. You may have to use their conveyancing (Could add up to the FULL cost of a HIP by them adding “Disbursements”). Plus the T & C may catch you out. There have been about twenty HIPP gone into liquidation this year. Always use a credit card that may protect you should you not receive your HIP. Internet HIPs could also be “non-compliant”. The HMLR documents may be the ones that can be bought on line for about £4 each (for information ONLY). These documents are NOT authorised to be used in a HIP. Guess who pays for the proper searches to be included? Yes…You. HOW TO GET A GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY AND SAFE HIP Use a local HIPP. Check what consumer protection they provide to you and ask for it in writing. Are they members of or subscribe to AHIPP, Search Code, IPPA or IDEA. They may say they are, but check. If using a solicitor get an agreement on fees first. Stay safe out there. HIPs Are Working…. September 24th, 2009 Statistics released this morning, from Connells, claim that HIPs have speeded up the time between offer and exchange by an average of one week. It is based on a sample of over 37,689 properties put on the market with Connells’ 466 branches after August 2, 2007, and which exchanged before September 11 this month. Of these, 29,844 properties had HIPs, and 7,845 properties were exempt – HIPs were introduced on a phased-in basis and some properties still do not require a HIP. This showed that vendors of second-hand properties with HIPs, exchanged contracts on their property on average seven calendar days faster than those without a HIP. Mike Ockenden, director general of trade body AHIPP, said; “These new statistics simply add to the growing body of evidence that directly contradicts the claims made by some critics of HIPs. The system as it stands may not be perfect but, as these results clearly show, HIPs have led to important improvements being made”. “Whilst HIPs have not achieved all their objectives, we urge an incoming Government in 2010 to undertake a detailed review on which aspects are working and which are not, before making a decision”. It is “hard facts” like this that the conservatives should be looking at before issuing their election manifest saying that they would abolish HIPs.

	Competition on within the HIP market contines apace. Energicert Ltd continues to monitor how prices are going. To ensure that we are offering the best possible HIP to our customers, Energicert have become affilate members of The Association of Home Pack Providers. AHIPP membership ensures that as an Energicert customer, you are assured that the HIP provided imeets all the current regulations.
March 09
	Major changes to HIP regulations There are major changes to HIP regulations from April 6th 2009. The Government have announced that the ‘Temporary arrangement' that allowed a property to be marketed as long as a HIP had been commissioned and paid for, are to end. From April 1st 2009 a house holder is not able to offer property to the public unless the HIP is available for delivery. Energicert Ltd can deliver the ‘Interim’ or ‘Lite’ HIP: PIQ, EPC and Land Registry Documents, normally within 24 hours of an order being placed with us. Other changes in the HIP are that from the same date. The Government have announced that the HIP must now include the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ). The PIQ will be completed by the Householder and become one of the mandatory documents within the HIP. The Energicert Ltd staff will be pleased to give you more information on the PIQ. These are the adverts that the government are using to let you know about the changes in the HIP pack regulations.

	January and February Surveys Energicert Ltd have carried out 32 surveys for Householders in Harrogate, Leeds, Bradford and farther afield during the months of January and February. Some of these have been associated with Home information packs and some have been for Landlords who require EPC's for their rental property portfolios. Survey in Leeds Energicert undertook to survey a block of 16 apartments in the city of Leeds, the average rating was slightly lower than the national average for that type of apartment.
October 08
	Rental Properties EPC This month has seen the introduction EPC requirement for rental properties to have an Energy Performance Certificate. Energicert Ltd have introduced a special service to Landlords with multiple units. Most EPC suppliers will charge per property price, but we at Energicert Ltd, believe it to be fairer to charge for the time of the Surveyor, plus the Lodgment fee, this can considerable reduce the cost per unit for an EPC. A rental property EPC at present is valid for 10 years. Why not get all your properties surveyed at one time. NO HIP Required If your property has been continually marketed before December 14th 2007, you do not need a HIP. However from October 1st 2008, you do need to have an EPC. Energicert Ltd have carried out many such surveys for house sellers to allow them to comply with the law.
August 08
	Independent Home Information Pack Most people will go to their Estate Agent or Solicitor to obtain their HIP, but the more astute home seller obtains an independent HIP. An independent HIP allows the Home Buyer to change Estate Agent as necessary or to pick their Solicitor for the legal service not just because they produced the HIP. An Independent HIP is often less expensive and gives the home owner the ownership of the HIP. How long does a Pack last for? First, there is no need for a seller to renew a HIP as long as the property remains on the market. But, if a seller decides to take the property off the market, they can remarket with the same HIP as long as they do so within 12 months of the first date the property was marketed. Where a property is taken off the market because an offer has been accepted, only for the transaction to fall through, the seller can remarket his home with the original HIP (even after one year) as long as remarketing starts within 28 days of the sale falling through. This flexibility means that the HIP has a shelf life of at least one year for sellers. When should a Pack be available? Under the temporary first day marketing provision, which ends on 31 December 2008, the production of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to the person responsible for marketing a property triggers the requirement for the rest of the HIP. This means that the 'basic HIP' should be prepared and made available once an EPC has been produced. The view that a full HIP must always be compiled before it can be provided and shown to prospective buyers is misleading and non-compliant with the Regulations. It is essential that both estate agents and HIP providers understand and act on the need to prepare the basic HIP as soon as possible in the process so more people can fully benefit from the information it contains.
	Domestic Energy Assessor The Domestic Energy Assessor is the person who comes to carry out the survey on the premises. The number of Domestic Energy Assessors unfortunately continues to grow. The government felt that there was a need for 3,000 to 4,000 DEA’s , there are now over 11,000 accredited DEAs, this large number of Assessors coupled with a downturn in the English housing market is creating problems for people who have invested large amounts of money in their training and equipment.
	EPC for Rental Properties From October 1st 2008 all rental properties will require an Energy Performance Certificate. The DEA who surveys property for the HIP is also the person who will carry out the survey for rental properties. The EPC for rented properties is valid for ten years, there is no need for Landlords to wait, get your property surveyed by an Energicert Ltd DEA now. Instead of charging Landlords a fee per property, Energicert charge a fee for the surveyors time plus a small Lodgment fee. This method of charging for EPC can work out at less then £40 per property Call today for your free quote and see how much you can save.

	<Contact the Energicert team today to receive a quote>

HIP, epc, rental property epc, rental epc, home information pack, energy performance certificates, EPC, commercial epc, hips, selling house, buying house, harrogate, yorkshire, epc harrogate, hip harrogate, hip york, epc york, epc leeds, hip leeds, mike edward, house purchase, property selling, Leeds, DEA Training, energy saving, domestic energy assessor, Leeds, Bradford