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Latest news...
Fully portable Home Information Pack - from only
£299...
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Government extend HIP to all domestic homes...
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greenlifesolutions
receives NHER accreditation..
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greenlifesolutions
now able to offer full Home Information Pack (HIP) in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire
and Essex
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Latest News
February 2008
FULLY PORTABLE HOME INFORMATION PACK - ONLY £299
This extremely competitive price includes VAT, your Energy Performance inspection and certification.
Contact us to discuss your requirements in more detail and take advantage of this great offer.
Thinking of Moving Home, confused regarding the new Home Information Pack legislation?
Contact Green Life Solutions, a friendly and professional business happy to take the time to explain the new home information pack requirements to you.
Why do I need a Portable Home Information Pack?
At Green Life Solutions we offer a fully portable Home Information Pack owned by the house seller. For the house seller this means total flexibility when marketing their property. If your Estate Agent is not performing you’re not tied in by their Home Information Pack offer. Leaving you free to find the right Estate Agent to sell your property.
It’s simple, no tie in and no hassle.
Contact Green Life Solutions today to discuss your requirements with our team.
December 2007
FULL ROLL OUT OF HIPS
All homes marketed for sale from 14 December 2007 in England and Wales will need a Home Information Pack (HIP).
Ministerial Statement by Yvette Cooper on 22 November 2007
The Government set out its approach and criteria for phasing the implementation of Home Information Packs (HIPs) including Energy Performance Certificates on 11 June. Sixty per cent of the market is now covered by HIPs. And the criteria for roll out to the rest of the market have now been met. We will therefore complete the phased roll out by extending coverage to the rest of the market from 14th December.
First time buyers of one and two bedroom homes will
be the main beneficiaries as they will now get important information about
their new home for free. Information such as searches for which they would
previously have had to pay will now be included in the HIP paid for by the
seller, reducing the costs of the first step onto the property ladder.
But all householders will benefit from having detailed information about
the energy efficiency of their home, and measures to save on their fuel
bills and cut carbon emissions
200,000 Energy Performance Certificates have been generated since the summer. The analysis of the early phase of rollout of HIPs found that the average rating for homes was an E, and we know that approximately one-fifth of all homes are likely to get an F or G rating. This means that basic measures could significantly cut both fuel bills and carbon emissions. The Energy Savings Trust have also estimated that homeowners could also save around £300 a year on fuel bills from implementing the recommendations in the Energy Performance Certificate.
October 2007
It has been just over 2 months since the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIP) to the housing market in England and Wales. Currently the scheme extends to all domestic properties with 3 bedrooms or more, covering approximately 62% percent of the total market.
Drop Dead Date
We have been asked to clarify the Drop Dead Date (DDD), what it means and when it applies.
No date has yet been set
Currently, any property that was already on the market on the commencement date (i.e. 1 August 2007 for sales of homes with four or more bedrooms and 10 September 2007 for those with three or more bedrooms) does not need to have a HIP. However, a date will be set (the Drop Dead Date) when all properties that are on the market will be required to have a HIP, regardless of when they were first marketed. The Communities & Local Government Department (CLG) are due to set this date shortly, which is expected to be prior to 2008.
Retrieval of EPC's is now available
Functionality to automatically retrieve EPCs and HCRs form the central Register is now available.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Condition Reports (HCRs) are held on central registers. The Registers provide an independent means for potential buyers and sellers (and those acting on their behalf) to check that the EPC or HCR is authentic and has not been altered since it was produced by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor or a certificated Home Inspector. Access to Energy Performance Certificates and Home Condition Reports is controlled by The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 and Home Information Pack (no.2) Regulations 2007 respectively.
AHIPP URGES GOVERNMENT TO COMPLETE ROLL OUT OF HIPS FOR REMAINING HOUSING STOCK
Since Home Information Packs (HIPs) were implemented for all properties in England and Wales with three bedrooms or more. HIPs have been delivered to consumers efficiently and professionally by the new HIP provider industry. Now the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) urges the Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, to lay down the commencement order to extend the rollout to all remaining properties.
Mike Ockenden, Director General of AHIPP, said: "I call upon the Government to extend the rollout to the remainder of the housing stock. There are now over 5,000 fully accredited Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs) ready to provide Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), a substantially higher number than the Government’s target of 3,000 for the full national roll out of HIPs.
"For HIPs to do their job properly they need to be rolled out to all properties up and down chains of transactions. Not only will this speed up home buying and selling for all consumers, but it is fair for all. Presently anyone selling a home with three or more bedrooms and buying a one or two bedroom home is penalised by having to pay for the information in a HIP on the sale and also on the purchase. Clearly this situation should be rectified as soon as possible".
"Further, HIPs are particularly beneficial to first time buyers, saving them money on their first purchase, making it less stressful and removing one of the barriers to home ownership. People entering the property ladder for the first time are more likely to buy a one or two bedroom home so it is important to roll out HIPs to these properties as soon as possible".
"We have seen that the roll out of HIPs to three and four bedroom homes has gone very well and I now strongly urge Government to extend the implementation to all homes put on the market, so that HIPs can really start to do the job they have been brought in to do. It is time for all home buyers and sellers to benefit from this vital reform."
Green findings - Energy Performance Certificates
and Home Information Packs
Average four bedroom homes are getting an 'E' energy rating, according to a survey from the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information Packs (HIPs).
New information after the launch of EPCs and HIPs, shows that average four bedroom homes and above could save hundreds of pounds off heating, lighting, and water bills.
Most homes are receiving an 'E' rating in their EPCs on the A-G scale, but this could potentially rise to a 'C' if consumers undertake measures recommended in the certificates, such as loft and cavity wall insulation.
The early findings come from a snapshot survey of
energy assessors and EPCs provided
since the launch of HIPs, which
show average 4 bedroom homes are being rated 'E' and could typically save
£180 on heating, £60 on lighting and £30 on hot water
bills, a year.
The top 5 recommendations given by assessors for improving energy efficiency
have been: cavity wall insulation, changing to low energy lighting, putting
thermostatic valves on radiators, loft insulation, and double glazing.
The introduction HIPs is already starting to reduce costs and improve transparency in the housing market. More than 85 local authorities have reduced their search costs, in some cases by more than £100.
The average pack is taking around 5 days to compile, with major estate agents charging in the region of £300 plus VAT for a HIP, on an upfront or deferred basis - £200 to £250 of which is already paid under the current system.
Typical 'green grants' of £100 to £300 for energy saving improvements like loft insulation are available to many home owners from energy suppliers as part of their legal obligations introduced by government to improve energy efficiency. Consumers can now access details of green grants and offers by tapping in their postcode on the Energy Saving Trust's website.
Energy suppliers are also providing direct information about grants to home buyers when they sign up to an energy contract.
Green Life Solutions Attend NHER/SAVA Conference 29th-30th October 2007
With the introduction of Home Information Packs, EPCs for dwellings have become commonplace. With the new legislation, what had been a niche industry is now becoming more widely accepted and understood. A greater focus on the wider aspects of climate change has generated a keen public interest in energy efficiency, particularly in the home. With EPCs set to roll out to the new build and non-domestic sector in the near future, there have never been so many opportunities for individuals working in the industry.
This year the NHER and SAVA have joined forces to bring the most informative, detailed and up-to-date conference programme possible, exploring a range of topics relating to energy efficiency, energy ratings and home inspection. Green Life Solutions will be attending the conference to ensure they continue to remain up to date on all issues relating to the industry ensuring their customers continue to receive the best professional advice.
