Helping Innovate Property (HIP) – Blog, Housing Market News and Articles

Estate agents Countrywide and property portal Rightmove say they have seen a 35% increase in new properties for sale since the coalition governement announced HIPS were suspended, on 21 May.

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Grant Shapps would have hoped that the contentious issue of Home Information Packs would have quietly slipped away into the background. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Yesterday, both Hywel Williams MP and the Institute of Domestic Energy Assessors slammed the coalition governments handling of the HIP suspension.

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We would like to take the opportunity to thank all our past Home Information Pack clients. It has been rewarding helping you to speedier transaction times, smoother exchanges, … STOP IT,  its gone.

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Despite recent rumours and ill informed articles to the contrary, it is still ‘business as usual’ in the HIP industry – for now at least. Since the new Government confirmed that they planned to scrap HIPs whilst retaining the Energy Performance Certificate (they have no choice in this – it’s required by European Directive), there has been constant talk about if and when the requirement for a Home Information Pack will be abolished.

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The Conservative and Liberal Democrats have published their initial coalition agreement which will be followed in due course by a final coalition agreement.

The Lib-Con Coalition Agreement published makes reference to Energy Performance Certificates and Home Information Packs under section 11 on the environment.

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Grant Shapps MP office contacted us after a recent article ‘Conservative Home Information Pack policy to stall property market?’ where we posed a few questions. Grant Shapps office offered to provide answers to these questions, which we were pleased to accept.

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The Conservative HIP policy is being criticised by a number of industry professionals at present and quite ironically from both Pro-HIP and Anti-HIP supporters. The common ground which is uniting these two groups is ambiguity, uncertainty and lack of clarity from Mr Grant Shapps on his intentions and implementation plans if they were to win the next election.

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David Pett has started a pro-HIP organisation named the HIP Reform Group which has been recently promoted to many DEAs, HIP providers and industry professionals.

What made you establish the HIP Reform Group?

David Pett stated,

“I took this action as I became frustrated by the political spin and half truths emanating from the Conservative Party and how I feel the end user i.e. the consumer is being misled.

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IPSA have today released a list of Local Authorities that they are advising members NOT to buy official searches from, to ensure Home Information Pack compliance.

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The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents (IPSA) has today completed a partial survey of its members in relation to their combined burden of bad debt. The survey has revealed the amount IPSA members have written-off since the introduction of Home Information Packs due to non-payment, liquidation, alleged fraudulent trading and improper business conduct.

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The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents (IPSA) has today completed a survey of Local Authorities it accuses of producing searches that are not HIP compliant.

Christian Lister, IPSA Chairman and Steve Davies IPSA CEO have both highlighted the problem of non-compliance and the risk to consumers to the relevant industry authorities.

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