hipsandhcrs

HIP News

hipsandhcrs — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:52:30 +0000

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…)

Which? criticises Home Infomration Packs

hipsandhcrs — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:56:11 +0000

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Packs (HIPs) have achieved the aim of improving the process of buying or selling a property as a large part of a HIP is out of date after four to six months; buyers and sellers have problems getting hold of a pack and HIP inspectors often fail to carry out basic checks.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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Trials suggest HIP Success

hipsandhcrs — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:18:47 +0000

According to research carried out by Mori home buyers are satisfied with the Home Information Pack (HIP) and are starting to use energy performance certificates to make their properties greener.

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All properties marketed for sale in the UK need a HIP

hipsandhcrs — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:10:41 +0000

Some people still do not realise that from December last year all properties for sale in England and Wales need a Home Information Pack (HIP).

It is also worth pointing out that the the introduction of home info packs is only part of the broader initiative to reform home buying and selling in England and Wales. Other initiatives include e-conveyancing which aims to speed up the process and provide better value for money.

What is in a Home Information Pack?

hipsandhcrs — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:27:20 +0000

The Home Information Pack includes a number of mandatory components, some optional items and some things that are prohibited.

Mandatory

Home Information Pack Index
Energy Performance Certificate
Local Authority Searches
Sale Statement
Evidence of Title
Drainage and Water Searches

There are additional requirements for freehold and leasehold properties.

Optional Content

Home Condition Report
Legal Summary
Home use/contents forms

Find out additional information about the content of a Home Information Pack.

HIP First Day Marketing

hipsandhcrs — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:24:32 +0000

From 1st June 2008 the Home Information Pack must be complete before a property can be marketed by an estate agent. At the moment, the HIP only has to be ordered for the property to be marketed. With some HIP providers seeing a delay of up to three weeks for the Home Information Packs to be completed, this could result in significant delay for sellers. One of the main reasons for delay is that local authorities and indeed the search companies are not providing search results quickly enough.

We believe that the problems with local authority searches will be largely overcome by June and buyers will benefit tremendously from a complete Home Information Pack when making a decision to put in an offer on a property or not.

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Improved searches

hipsandhcrs — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:15:40 +0000

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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HIPs here to stay

hipsandhcrs — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:19:32 +0000

Well 2007 will be remembered in the property industry in England and Wales as the year in which Home Information Pack (HIP) were introduced to revolutionise the home buying and selling process. Unfortunately for HIPs, the rollout has not been managed as well as it could have been and it has coincided with a slowdown in the housing market; this has provided the reactionary forces within the property industry with excellent ammunition to use against Home Information Packs. It is expected that HIPs will continue to come under pressure throughout 2008 and the benefits of the packs will only start to be widely accepted twelve months from now in 2009.

HIP Provider Welcomes Full HIPs Rollout

hipsandhcrs — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 10:35:34 +0000

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…)

Pressure from RICS to further delay full HIP Rollout

hipsandhcrs — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:22:45 +0000

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…)