A HIP is a package of information containing key selling information about a property. It must be provided by anyone selling a property with three bedrooms or more. Currently properties can be marketed as soon as a pack is commissioned rather than waiting until the pack is fully assembled. As a further temporary measure, Energy Performance Certificates can be up to 12 months old when a property is put up for sale.

A HIP contains compulsory and optional document. The compulsory documents are:

	An Index listing the documents contained in the Pack
	An Energy Performance Certificate
	A Sale Statement providing basic information about the property, such as the address, whether the property is freehold, leasehold or commonhold, whether it is registered or unregistered and whether or not the property is being sold with vacant possession
	Standard searches – the HIP must include:
		The local land charges register relating to the property being sold
		Other records held by the local authority on matters of interest to buyers, such as planning decisions and road building proposals
		The provision of drainage and water services to the property
	Evidence of Title to prove that the seller owns the property and therefore has the right to sell it
	Any additional information for Leasehold and commonhold properties

The optional documents are:

	A Home Condition Report contains information about the physical condition of a property, which sellers, buyers and lenders will be able to rely on legally as an accurate report
	A summary of the legal content of the pack
	Home use and home contents forms enabling sellers to give buyers information on a range of matters relating to the property
	Other documents such as non-standard searches in the Home Information Pack where appropriate. For example, a mining search in areas where coal mining has taken place

This is the first stage of Home Information Packs, which will soon be extended to smaller homes.

For more information, see the Government's official Home Information Pack website.

The Energy Performance Certificate is similar to the certificates now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. Its purpose is to record how energy-efficient a property is. The certificate provides a rating of the property from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient.

Two ratings are shown on the EPC: the Energy Efficiency Rating and the Environmental Impact Rating. The Energy Efficiency Rating is a measure of a home's overall efficiency. The Environment Impact Rating is a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions - the higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings.

Each rating is based on the performance of the building itself and its services (such as lighting and heating), rather than the domestic appliances within it. The certificate also lists the potential rating of the building if all the cost-effective measures were applied.
Ratings vary according to the age, location, size and condition of the building. The potential rating on the certificate will take these factors into account, and the suggested measures will be tailored so that they are realistic for the particular building.

The Energy Performance Certificate lists cost-effective measures that homeowners can take to improve the energy efficiency of the building. This can mean lower energy bills and could make homes more attractive to potential purchasers.