hipsandhcrs

As well as subscribing to this blog there is a wealth of HIP infomration on the Web.

It is probably fair to say that the governement funded news resources such as www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk  are best for accurate and up-to-date information about Home Information Packs and there is also a Governement funded newsletter that  you can subscribe to and get the latest information on HIPs direct to your inbox.

If you want to get an idea about what is being said in the press about HIPs you can subscribe to a “Home Information Pack” newsfeed on Google News which you can, if you prefer,  setup so that you receive these HIP news alerts direct to your inbox.

Finally, there are the industry bodies such as the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) which provide a HIP news service on their site. Obviously, it is their role to be pro-HIP. (more…)

The Consumer Association, Which? claims that there are few signs that Home Information Packs (HIPs) have achieved the aim of improving the process of buying or selling a property as a  large part of a HIP is out of date after four to six months; buyers and sellers have problems getting hold of a pack and HIP inspectors often fail to carry out basic checks.

However, this infomration is based on a very small sample size of just 23 estate agents which raises questions about the reliability and the vailidity of the data.  It is nothing more than a snapshot and should not be seen as representative of the HIP Industry.

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hipsandhcrs welcomes the announcement from junior housing minister Iain Wright last week that local authority and search companies must work together to improve the quality and speed of the search service. He expects searches to be provided within 24 hours a major improvement on the current situation with some local authority searches taking weeks.

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hipsandhcrs welcomes the recent announcement from the government that Home Information Packs (HIPS) will be rolled out to all properties in England and Wales from the 14th December 2007.

The only exception is for properties that were already for sale before the  commencement date.  This means that two-bed homes on the market before 14th December 2007 will not require a HIP.  However, astute sellers still have the option to purchase a HIP to improve the saleability of their home. (more…)

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors is putting pressure on the Government to further delay full rollout of Home Information Packs (HIPS). They claim that the introduction of HIPS has reduced the number of larger homes being marketed as speculative sellers are put off by the cost of the HIP. They also expect the number of smaller homes being marketed when HIPS are fully rolled out to be affected in the same way, which the Institute fears will make it even more difficult for first time buyers to get on the housing ladder.

The Association of Home Information Packs providers responded to the allegations by saying that the RICs had forgotten that first time buyers are set to benefit most from the full introduction of HIPS as they will not have to pay for the information in the HIP and they will be in a position to make a more informed decision.

AHIPP’s Deputy Director General, Paul Broadhead, said: “Research amongst our own Estate Agency members suggests that whilst the supply of property on the market is lower than usual at this time of year, the actual stock on Estate Agents books is not. This would suggest a lack of buyers in the market place, and as most buyers are sellers they are unlikely to put their home on the market if they are not thinking of moving.” (more…)