London Estate Agent Offers Free HIPs and EPC

Which? magazine have been monitoring the cost and availability of Home Information Packs on three bedroom properties since December 2007 when the provision of a HIP was made compulsory on all homes up for sale in England and Wales.

The consumer magazine found that the price of a pack, which includes the usual searches and an Energy Performance Certificate varied enormously. More surprising perhaps was that potential buyers often struggled to get a copy of the HIP. Estate Agents refused to email copies of the document.

The Home information pack was introduced in order to simplify and speed up the sale of a property providing more of the information that potential buyers need up front, and homeowners in England and Wales must now have one of the packs in place before they can begin marketing their property.

Which? advise that “A Hip should cost between £300 and £400 for a typical three-bedroom semi. This could rise to between £600 and £800 if you top it up with a home condition report.”

London Estate Agents Paramount Properties are offering free HIPs on all residential sales as part of their 25 year anniversary. Paramount Sales Director, Mr Robert Lazarus said “A significant percentage of vendors are put off by paying the cost of the HIP at the outset.

Paramount are easing the vendors worries of this additional cost by offering Free HIPs until the end of October”

Paramount Properties have extensive experience of helping Home Owners with Home Information Packs, HIPS. From the 6th April 2009 the Home Information Pack regulations will change to include:

• Introduction of the new Property Information Questionnaire – PIQ
• Removal of the temporary first day marketing exemption
• All searches, whether produced by a local authority or a search company, must be complete with no gaps in the data covered by insurance.

To be able to market your property the following documents must be in place and available:

• Index
• Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ)
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA) for new homes marketed before completion
• Sustainability information (new homes only)
• Sales Statement
• Evidence of Title – HMLR Title Plan and Register. For unregistered properties a search of the index map must be included.

Property Sales Covent Garden, London WC2

Covent Garden dates back to the 16th Century. In 1670 it became a fruit and flower market and the architect Inigo Jones was commissioned to design an Italian-style piazza. Much of this design remains today.

Covent Garden is one of London’s liveliest areas both day and night. It lies next door to London’s theatreland and the streets are lined with every type of shop, boutique, wine bar restaurant and coffee house. Market stalls and market stalls provide year round entertainment. The London Transport Museum is in the centre of Covent Garden and only a stone’s throw away from the newly refurbished Royal Opera House.

History of Covent Garden

Covent Garden was originally part of the land owned by Westminster Abbey, specifically St Peter’s Convent. Henry VIII passed on the “Convent Garden” to the Earl of Bedford during the dissolution of the monasteries. It wasn’t developed until almost a century later though, when the fourth Earl recruited noted architect Inigo Jones to design and build a piazza.
Jones, famous for his love of classical Italian architecture came up with an elegant solution to the brief, and the church of St Paul’s on the west side of the piazza provides a fine illustration of his style.

There had been a fruit and vegetable market in the square since 1649, but by the 18th century this had expanded to fill most of it up. With the construction of various theatres in the surrounding streets what had been a very prestigious address became somewhat less appealing. The market building that we know today appeared in 1830, and other buildings in the square went up later that century.

The fruit and veg market moved to Vauxhall in 1973, and the empty buildings stayed as they were for a few years before people began to realise that there was plenty of opportunity to draw tourists to the area.

The Royal Opera House has had a major effect on the area over the years. Built in 1732 it was a theatre for many years before music became the main draw. Riots about pricing and fires followed. More recently it was again the scene of controversy, when huge funds for modernisation were donated from the National Lottery.

Today Covent Garden is part tourist trap and part shopping arcade. Despite all this it’s a part of London that many Londoners visit regularly and seem to like. And luckily these days you’re unlikely to slip on a banana skin…

Travel Links to Covent Garden

Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line)

Charing Cross Railway Station

Motorway Junction M1 Junction 1

Airport London City

Flat With Luxury Kitchen In West Hampstead

Most buyers rate a good kitchen very high on their priority list when they are looking for a flat in West Hampstead. The layout of the kitchen, the amount of counter space and storage, and the age and overall condition of the appliances are all important to them.

The kitchen area is basically viewed as the heart of any property. Take a discriminating look at your kitchen and consider what you can do to make it a real asset.

Repair any plumbing leaks or broken appliances. Scrub the room thoroughly, paying special attention to the oven.

Clean the fridge and place a box of baking soda inside to keep it fresh and dry.

Little fix-ups can sometimes do wonders–hang some pretty pot holders over the stove and get some new curtains.

You don’t need a brand new, high-tech kitchen to impress buyers, but do whatever you can to make your kitchen look as shiny and well-maintained as possible.

Property Sales in North West London

When you are faced with multiple offers on your home, how do you choose the right one? We can help you compare and contrast the terms of each proposal.

First, there is the price. Consider the closing costs you may be asked to pay, and be sure that you understand any other terms that might reduce your net profit.

Can you work out a mutually agreeable date for you to move out and for the buyers to move in?
How “clean” is each offer?

Do the buyers have another property to sell before they can close on yours?

Can you get reasonable assurances that the buyers will be able to qualify for the financing they will need?

We can help you weigh the relative merits of each offer, so that you can accept–or counter–the best one, and line up one as an alternative.