Hips 'unsatisfactory'

I have just picked up one of the many legal publications that arrive monthly onto my desk.

An interesting article caught my eye.

 

Almost a third of estate agents provide unsatisfactory home information packs according to a survey by Birmingham Trading Standards. Results of the study carried out at the end of last year revealed that, of the 37 packs examined, 70% were rated satisfactory or reasonably satisfactory, and 30% rated unsatisfactory when measured against the HIP regulations.

The most common faults included: no information provided on the complaint or redress procedure; no consumer information; no company contact details; technical issues with the search; and HIP index-related issues.

 

This comes as little surprise to me that a third of all HIPS were found to be below par. As they have no value to the buyer, they were always going to be done on the cheap.

In my opinion instead of upgrading them, surely the government should scrap them instead.The packs were supposed to hurry along the buying process, as they contain all of the property details, searches and an Energy Performance Certificate in one place. Unfortunately much of the documentation in the HIP is out of date on the day that it is produced and hence there is no cost saving as the purchaser needs to renew this documentation, leading to a duplication of costs.

The government has been accused by the Conservatives of stifling the property market with yet more red tape, creating a headache for those wishing to sell their homes, in an already tricky market.