New House Energy Rating / HIP

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Home Information Packs are compulsory for four bedroom properties and larger (as of 1 August 2007). Packs will be extended to smaller properties as soon as sufficient energy assessors are fully qualified.
For Buyers
If you are buying your home, just ask whoever is advertising it for sale for the Home Information Pack. This is usually an estate agent, but could be another business or individual.
If it's an estate agent, they must give you a copy of the Pack free of charge (although they may make a reasonable charge to cover the costs of copying and posting it). If the seller isn't using an estate agent, you should be able to get the Pack directly from them.
You can see what the Pack has to contain in What's in a Home Information Pack?. For more, see buyer's essential information
For sellers
If you are selling your home, there are a number of options:

• Use an estate agent
• Get a solicitor to do it
• Use a specialist Pack provider
• Compile it yourself. See How do I compile my own pack? for more
• Enlist the help of other businesses, such as financial advisers
• Some supermarkets have also indicated that they might provide Packs.

If you're selling a private residential property on the open market, you will normally need a Home Information Pack. However there are some exceptions, so to check if you're affected, see Do I need a Pack?. For more, see seller's essential information.
Choosing a Pack Provider/Search company
On 29 September 2006, the Search Code and HIP Code were introduced, delivering quality standards across both the property search industry and in Home Information Packs (HIPs).

If you are commissioning a HIP, you may wish to consider a company that is a member of the HIP Code. Alternatively, if you are commissioning searches or are compiling the Pack yourself, you may wish to consider a company that has signed up to the Search Code.

Here you can find a full list of organisations that have signed up to one or both of the codes at the Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB). The PCCB has been established to maintain a register of firms committed to operating within these standards of practice and to independently monitor compliance with the Codes. The PCCB will also encourage organisations to sign up to the Codes to promote increased consumer protection.
Rollout of Home Information Packs
As we set out to Parliament on May 22, we will roll out to other sized properties when sufficient energy inspectors are in place nationally and regionally to meet market demand, taking into account lessons learnt from the operation of the scheme.
As we made clear, we will roll out as quickly as possible taking into account how HIPs is operating in the market. We want to ensure a smooth transition in the housing market.