HIPS were launched a year ago now and the BBC quotes the Law Society as saying that in some cases HIPs are not available until weeks after a property has gone on sale.
With the current slowdown in the housing market, paying an extra £300-400 for a HIP is proving too much for some people. The HIP is meant to be available as soon as the property goes on the market but in some cases the Law Society is not getting a HIP until contracts on the property have been exchanged.
