Hips hang in the balance
May 16, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Mortgages
The future of Home Information Packs (Hips) hangs in the balance today (May 16th).
A vote is due to take place in the House of Commons to decide whether the packs should become a mandatory part of the home-selling process from June 1st.
The Conservative party is against their introduction and many industry figures have voiced their concerns of the effect they will have on the market.
The National Association of Estate Agents, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Law Society all oppose Hips in their current form.
Paul Smith, chief executive of estate agents Spicerhaart Group, has raised concerns that Hips could lead to a monumental housing market crash.
“The current legislation is in a mess and will prevent immediate marketing of homes affecting buyers and sellers alike,” he said. “The mandatory requirement to have a full EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) in place prior to marketing will delay the process by weeks, as there are simply not enough trained energy assessors.
“We are calling for the government to allow interim energy assessments to be used for all properties.”
However, the argument has been countered by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp) which says a delay in the introduction of Hips will have a negative effect on the UK’s climate.
“This week’s vote is a result of political game playing and could significantly impact the UK’s climate change over the next few years,” said Paul Broadhead from Ahipp.
“[The vote] will not just impact the future of Hips but the future of the EPC and our environment – the climate change agenda cannot wait, or be made to suffer as a result of political game playing.”
The introduction of Hips in just over two week’s time will be debated by MPs today.
