Energy Performance Certificates: Why Property Lawyers
shouldn’t Tar them with the same brush as Home Information
Packs
The Home Information Packs (HIPS) were badly introduced
and caused nothing but problems for many property lawyers;
buyers and sellers alike. They were thrust upon us with
no real planning and there were no hard and fast rules in
place to cover the seller or buyer where a pack was out
of date.
Their abolishment was like a breath of fresh air to property
lawyers and with this came a sudden surge in the market.
Many people, who had been discouraged from putting their
property on the market, due to increased outlay in a time
when the market was slow, put their properties up for sale.
Be it slow, the property market is beginning to come back
to life.
With great relief, HIPS were scrapped in May of this year;
however they have still left behind a bad smell, which for
some, continues to linger.
The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) was introduced
along with HIPS and although these may have been abolished,
the EPC remains. Many people may still be unsure of the
role they play but rest assured they are here to stay because
in 2007 the UK government implemented EU Directive 2002/91/EC
and launched the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.
They not only apply to sellers but also landlords, letting
agents, property owners, property agents, business agents,
conveyancing solicitors and others. However, there is still
a great deal of misunderstanding about why & when EPCs
should be commissioned and the benefits and pitfalls.
They may be a pain but in my opinion they are a good thing.
The aim of the EPC is to reduce CO2 emissions of buildings
and provide you with a report as to how environmentally
friendly the property in question is. The EPC shows the
rating of the building as an A to G energy rating, with
G being the least energy efficient. It is accompanied by
a recommendation report setting out tips on how to improve
energy proficiency and carbon footprints.
Ok, so no one likes change including conveyancing solicitors
but I believe that once we become adjusted to producing
the EPC it will increasing become part of everyday life
and will be part of the conveyancing transaction just as
completing fixtures and fittings forms and property information
questionnaires are.
Except this tiny change and you are helping the environment
– Surely that outweighs the hassle?
We at Havillands & Co. Solicitors are a national conveyancing
centre with expertise in providing residential and commercial
conveyancing. Our property solicitors have over 40 years
of experience on all aspects of conveyancing and property
law.
Visit our website for more information and a conveyancing
quote.
© Natalie Madley
Havillands & Co. solicitors
