What are HIP Searches ?

The  searches contained in a HIP are  a set of standard enquiries need by the  conveyancing lawyer or conveyancing solicitor acting for your purchaser, assuming of course you find a buyer.  The local authority search is raised with the local council, a drainage & water search with the water authority etc.. It should be remembered that HIP searches are intended only to cover the legal aspects of a conveyancing purchase.

HIP Searches give crucial information regarding the property, for example whether or not the road serving it is a publicly adopted highway in the immediate vicinity, whether it is subject to ant planning enforcement notices etc..  

Do not be surprised if the purchaser’s conveyancing solicitors indicate that they need to do more searches. HIP searches are not comprehensive and the seller is not obliged for the HIP to contain  any more conveyancing searches other than the Local and Drainage Searches .  

There are instances where the conveyancing  searches within a  HIP have been provided by unregulated or insured parties or the searches are deemed to be out of date under Council for Mortgage Lenders Instructions to Conveyancing Lawyers or are in any way unacceptable in this regard it will be for the buyer's conveyancing solicitor or conveyancing lawyer  to consider whether the situation warrants an arrangement of indemnity insurance covering the buyer's mortgage lender or by obtaining new conveyancing search results.  Fridaysmove HIPs are insured and accepted by all lawyers we have come across to date ( we have conducted thousands of HIPs ). Please note that HIP searches are only considered to be a valid for six months by almost all lenders and conveyancing lawyers.  

The Council for Mortgage Lenders Instructions confirm “all conveyancing searches a prudent solicitor would carry out” are required in a purchase conveyancing transaction and in this regard where the HIP does not provide all the conveyancing  searches, such as Environmental Searches or Chancel Check Searches .  

Additional specialist conveyancing ( i.e non HIP )   searches depend on location of the property may apply  in accordance with the Council for Mortgage Lenders instructions to Conveyancing Lawyers. Such specialist non HIP  searches depend on the geographical location. If the property is next to a canal or river, then perhaps a British Waterways search should be considered.