HIPs rollout locations revealed

Posted: 15 Aug 2006 11:50:19 GMT

Six locations in England will be the first areas to try out the government's Home Information Packs (HIPs).

Southampton, Newcastle, Northampton, Bath, Huddersfield and Cambridge have been chosen to use HIPs and they will be available to buyers on a voluntary basis before mandatory roll-out in June 2007.

The much maligned property initiative was turned into an embarrassment for the government and resulted in the dropping of the compulsory Home Condition Reports (HCRs).

However, Paul Broadhead director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) has defended HIPs and blamed the government for any wrong-doing.

"The government's decision to make the HCR a voluntary part of the HIP was spineless and unnecessary and was a decision made purely for political reasons.

"It is now up to industry to pick up the pieces and deliver its benefits to the consumer."

The new phase of HIPs has been met with a degree of enthusiasm from certain areas of the industry.

Christopher Dean from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) stated: "HIPs will still be useful because they contain information on the energy efficiency of the property which will be useful to buyers.

"Also, when the government decided to make HCRs voluntary we thought that would be a good idea because it would make them market driven and susceptible to market forces."

Previously Ruth Kelly, secretary of state for the Department for Communities and Local Government, had shown the governments support for HIPs and the HCR initiative.

"While this is an AHIPP roll out, independent of government intervention, we will also be happy to work with government to further introduce packs in their chosen locations early in 2007, once these have been identified," Mr Broadhead added.



© Houseladder Ltd




MOST POPULAR

  FREE Property Advert
  Selling or Letting? List Your Property FREE Now

  FREE eBook worth 47
  How To Sell Or Let FASTER and Save 1000s