12
Oct
Tories plan to axe HIPs
The Conservatives have pledged to scrap Home Information Packs
(HIPs) if they are elected into government, claiming they are
unwanted and unnecessary.
At the party's conference in Blackpool last week shadow housing
minister Grant Shapps called for the packs, which were first
introduced in June, to be withdrawn.
He said the industry does not want them and the market does not
need them, announcing that "the next Conservative government will
scrap them."
Yesterday the party tabled a motion for the withdrawal of HIPs,
pointing to claims from the Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors that they have been responsible for a downturn in the
property market.
The Association of Home Information Pack Providers has criticised
the policy, insisting that HIPS make the buying process faster and
more transparent, which will benefit all buyers and in particular
those buying for the first time.
Home Information Packs are now a mandatory part of the house
selling process for all properties with three or more
bedrooms.
They contain an Energy Performance Certificate giving details of
the property's energy efficiency as well as other documents such as
a sale statement, searches and evidence of title.
