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Covering the South West of England
Information for Home BuyersWe hope you find our website useful, if you wish to view a property or have any questions please call us on 01373 473782, 0845 602 5670 or contact usHouse-Hut is an estate agent with a differenceWe offer all the usual services that you would expect from an estate agent, plus a lot more. Moving home is one of the most stressful events in your life, it is also probably your biggest purchase, which is why our motto is: inspiring confidence - reducing stress. We offer you a very personalised service when buying your next home.
Need help with your conveyancing?
Our in house conveyancing team can offer you an efficient and competitively priced service, and you can monitor the whole process from the comfort of your home. For a transparent and detailed No sale-No fee quote call us now on 01373 473782 or 0845 602 5670(low call)or email us
We listen to you
We believe in listening to our customers and our philosophy is to put our customers first. As members of the Ombudsman for Estate Agents Scheme you have the reassurance of knowing we abide by their strict codes of practice, this also provides you with an independent point of redress. Being totally independent we do not have to meet head office targets aimed at pleasing shareholders. Once you have told us what you are looking for we will remember and not send you lots of irrelevant properties sorted by a faceless computer. We have a policy of honesty to both our sellers, and buyers, we'll tell you how it really is! When we say we will ring you back we will! We wont try and sell you mortgages or insurance (although we are happy to put you in contact with people who can if required) - all we do is sell houses! If you see a house you like contact us by phone or email to arrange a viewing of the property. If you need further information about a property we are happy to help. If you don't see what you like why not go on our mailing list? Just fill in our simple form and tell us what you are looking for - we'll do the rest. We won't waste your time sending you properties that don't fit your requirements. We pass on all offers you make on our houses to our sellers and will inform you promptly of the response. If the sale of a property is agreed we will follow the sale through to completion keeping you informed all the way and assist you in any way we can to make your move to your new home go smoothly. Do you have a property to sell?
Our prices start at just £400 +vat
Call now on 01373 473782, 0845 602 5670 (low call) or contact usHome Information Packs (HIPs)The government has passed legislation to introduce home information packs and most residential properties will now have to have a home information pack. This legislation has been introduced in stages and some houses which have been on the market for a while will not be required to have one. We realise this is new and perhaps confusing to both buyers and sellers alike so we hope this information will be informative. If you are looking to sell we are able to guide you through this process and provide you with a home information pack at a competitive price with minimal fuss.
What does this mean to buyers?
As a buyer it means you will be able to obtain more information about a property before you put in an offer than at present - in other words you will have a better idea of what you are buying and hopefully this will avoid nasty surprises further down the line. The Government hopes this will avoid wasting money on abortive searches, surveys and legal fees by making the whole process more transparent.
What does this mean for sellers?
If you are looking to put your house on the market you will have to commission a home information pack before you can sell your home - we can arrange all this for you. This pack will provide information about your home and will be made available to potential buyers. It is hoped this will speed up the process of selling a property as much of what is contained in a home information pack will be required by your solicitor or conveyancer. Any problems brought up by the pack can be dealt with even before a buyer is found and the Government hope this will result in less sales falling through. If there are no problems with your house then a home information pack should be an asset to selling.
What is contained in a home information report?
The following items must be in the report:- An index
- A summary of the terms of sale
- Evidence of title
- Standard searches (local authority, drainage & water)
- An Energy Performance Certificate
- Commonhold information (where appropriate)
- Leasehold information (where appropriate)
- New Homes Warranty (where appropriate)
- A report on a home that is not physically complete (where appropriate)
In addition the seller may chose to include certain further information including guarantees, warranties, other searches and a Home Condition Report. These further items are not compulsory and we would discuss the pro's and con's of including these with you on an individual basis.
How do I get a home information pack?
We have contacts with a number of home information pack providers and can arrange all this for you - all you have to do is call us on 01373 473782 or 0845 602 5670(low call). We choose providers that can provide packs quickly and efficiently and importantly all our providers meet national standards and are competitively priced.
How much will the packs cost?
The cost of home information packs changes from week to week and at House-Hut we scour the market to ensure we can bring you these packs at the most competitive price. We only use providers with a proven track record of efficient delivery and which meet certain minimum standards. The costs of the packs are currenly between £350 - £400 and will need to be paid for by the seller. There are no hidden charges and you own the pack - so if you change agents you can take it with you. We are able to offer deferred payment terms subject to conditions - please ask for details. Call 01373 473782 for further information or to order your pack .
What is an Energy Efficency Certificate?
This will be a compulsory part of every pack which, like fridges will provide A - G ratings on the energy efficiency of a home, plus advice on how to make further energy savings. This will require inspection of the property by trained inspectors. If a home condition report is also requested it will be done as part of the survey
How long do the packs last
At the present time once you have a home information pack it lasts indefinately provided your house remains on the market. If your house is taken off the market and then put back on within a year from when it was first marketed it will not need a new pack. In other situations a new pack will probably be required.
Are home information packs a good idea?
The short answer is nobody really knows. The government claim that it will streamline and speed up the process of buying and selling a house and it will be cost neutral with costs being transferred from buyer to seller. However others disagree and believe it will significantly increase the cost of selling your house and make what is already a difficult and expensive process more difficult and expensive. At House-Hut we are committed to reduce the stress of moving and drive down the costs which is why we only charge 0.5% commission, and can also save you costs on conveyancing. In our experience when sales break down (nationally this is 30%, although our rates of breakdown are much lower)it is not due to a poor survey or problems revealed by searches, but for personal reasons and we believe HIP's will not stop sales breaking down. In our opinion the biggest benefactor of HIP's will be the chancellor of the exchequer! At House-Hut we believe in being pro-active and we will endeavour to minimise these costs for you and to make things run smoothly.
Details and information on HIP's is in a constant state of flux and to reflect this we are constantly updating and reviewing this site - keep watching!
For further information visit the official government website www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk |
