"local Searches" HIP and house purchase

Ilovesummer

I am a first time buyer and therefore I am looking for your honest advise.

The HIP of the house that I am buying is from the August 2008. So it is already 1.5 years old. The seller doesn't want to update it because under the current law he is not required to do so.

My lawyer says that at least LOCAL SEARCHES needs to be updated. And since there is no way that the seller will pay for it I have to pay for it.
And here comes the most important part:
He would like to do it with the company he knows and that IT WILL COST FEW HUNDRED POUNDS!!!!
The estate agent informed me that the entire HIP costs £370-£500 let alone only the "local sarches" are only a part of it. the local searches can be done on the internet even and why it should cost so much?????

What would be the best course of action from my side. Please recommend! Help!
Many thanks in advance

Cannon_Fodder

Reduce the offer you make to cover the costs.

Ilovesummer

Of course I have done it already but it was refused as HIP was provided and the seller is not legally obliged to update it.
My question is rather about my lawyer if he doesn't want to rip me off. Nowhere did I found that the sole Local Searches would cost several hundreds. On average HIP providers informed me on the phone that it is between 95-145 for the house in Borough of Richmond upon Thames

eslick

thought the hips expired after 6 months and they needed to get new ones, was supposed to be the case about a year ago.

edit I was wrong

How long is the HIP valid for? When does the HIP expire? A HIP remains valid for as long as the property remains on the market, however long it takes to find a buyer. The searches are newly commissioned when the pack is produced, however the as time elapses they become less current and the purchaser’s solicitors may insist that new searches are obtained, however this would be at the expense of the buyer, rather than you as the seller.
If a property is taken off the market then any documents that are older than 3 months need to be refreshed before the property can be marketed again, however, the seller can carry on using the same Pack without the need to update any of the documents in the following circumstances:

• Where marketing stopped because the seller accepted an offer and wants to restart marketing because the sale has fallen through, provided that remarketing starts within one year of the date when marketing first began or, if later, within 28 days of the sale falling through.
• Where marketing has stopped for any other reason, the seller may remarket the property with the same Pack provided that remarketing starts within one year of the date when marketing first began.

Further details can be found at the HIP regulations government website here

Ilovesummer

HIP are valid as long as the house wasn't taken from the market and the seller doesn't need to update it.

Keith

Ilovesummer wrote: »

Of course I have done it already but it was refused as HIP was provided and the seller is not legally obliged to update it.

The HIP is 1 1/2 years old and your seller is kicking up a fuss for a few hundred pounds!

My question is rather about my lawyer if he doesn't want to rip me off. Nowhere did I found that the sole Local Searches would cost several hundreds. On average HIP providers informed me on the phone that it is between 95-145 for the house in Borough of Richmond upon Thames

The search provider we use is more expensive than the cheap HIP providers on the 'net,

Ilovesummer

cerfied HIP providers are OK to do Local Search for £95-140.
Honestly, if anybody knows what local searches consist of then they know that it is 1 hour on the computer as all parts are available online.

I wonder if this is a frequent case that solicitors are ripping of the clients for several hundred pounds for 2 hour job with searches online.

Ilovesummer

Keith wrote: »

The search provider we use is more expensive than the cheap HIP providers on the 'net,

we are not talking about entire HIP but only Local searches.

Cheap entire HIP £100-180

More expensive £300-£500

we are talking only about part of HIP called LOCAL SEARCHES that cost from HIP providers £95-140 where total is £300 therefore or above. But I don't need entire HIP just the Local Searches

WhiteHorse

HIPS do not 'expire', although many solicitors and estate agents consider them of questionable validity after 3 or 6 months (depending on who you talk to).

You should get new local searches done. Shop around.

The fact that the HIP is 18 months old suggests that the property has been on the market for some time. Some room for negotiation there perhaps.

Ilovesummer

I am not buying with the asking price but 10 k below. It is is the maximum I managed to negotiated and believe me he accepted my 3rd offer and many offers of other people were refused. The house was valued by motgage lender for the price we paying
My question was about PRICE for Local Searches. And if a lawyer is honest when he claims that only "good" Local Search is bvalid and that can be done by his colleques and it cost SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS. Anybody knows about that?

daveyjp

I wouldn't trust a local search from a seller if it was a day old. If it's wrong and you buy the house on the back of it being OK you have no comeback.

Once offer is accepted then instruct for new local searches to be done. Expect to pay £100-150 for a local search, but there are other searches which can increase this cost.