Dominic Toller, director of marketing and new business at LMS, said: “The laying of the regulations for Home Information Packs sets us firmly on the final furlong for their implementation in June. These regulations demonstrate the government’s total commitment to HIPs and we are delighted the Department for Communities and Local Government is sticking to its guns in seeing HIPs introduced."
Mike Ockenden, director general at the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP), commented: “Today is a big day for the housing industry. Today’s regulations offer clarification and industry wide reassurance that Home Information Packs (HIPs) will happen on 1 June this year – there is no going back. I welcome these regulations, which have introduced a series of sensible and pragmatic steps to support the smooth implementation of HIPs – taking on board industry recommendations and concerns. We will continue to work closely with Government and the relevant stakeholders to ensure a seamless and effective introduction of HIPs, for the benefit of the consumer.”
Karen Babington, sales and marketing director at Easier2Move, said: “We welcome this announcement on HIPs as it is an inescapable indication that these packs really will be introduced on 1 June 2007. The changes that have been made to the legislation since January are relatively minor and can be seen as an indication that the government has listened to the concerns raised by companies operating within this sector.
"In recent research that we undertook, it emerged that 35 per cent of estate agents had still to choose a HIP provider. We hope that today’s announcement will act as a wake-up call to all companies that could benefit from offering HIPS and encourage them to start putting the appropriate processes in place.”
Henry Pryor, founder of PrimeMove.com, said: "The idea of introducing these watered down Home Information Packs as a tool to speed up the house selling process is both mistaken and expensive. In particular, the requirement to have Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) produced for every house before it is marketed is madness.
“EPCs alone are expected to cost in the region of £150. Given that only about half of the two million plus properties that are marketed each year actually sell means that there will have been no need for an EPC to have been produced for around 1 million homes each year.
“Ironically, a strategy designed to save energy (via EPCs) and to save money on abortive moving costs is going to end up costing home owners a lot more. Movers would be better served by buying a policy for around £70 to protect them from legal costs in the event of a sale falling through. The wider requirement from Brussels for an EPC for every home from 2009 is being used as an excuse for yet more green fig leaves from a government determined to push through an ill conceived and flawed plan. Home-buyers are only going to benefit from this if they actually buy a property and anyway most will disregard the information as far as their purchase negotiations are concerned.”
Joan Davies, head of business development at Allied Surveyors, commented: “Today’s regulations offer unequivocal assurance that Home Information Packs (HIPs) are going ahead – as planned. This is positive news for the consumer, who will soon have immediate access to a range of information on any property they plan to purchase - enabling them to make a more informed decision from the very start.
“The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will, for the first time offer home owners vital information on the energy efficiency of their home, along with a range of advice and recommendations to reduce both their carbon emissions and their energy bills. Combined with the start of the national advertising campaign, the regulations offer a clear indication that we are now climbing the final hurdle before HIPs become a reality for the consumer.”
Bill McClintock, chairman at the Ombudsman for Estate Agents (OEA), said: “The government has started its consumer awareness marketing campaign in the national press. The public are gradually becoming more and more informed about the packs and the need for sellers to have one before they commence the sale of their homes.
“We are here to protect the consumer from any incompetence or malpractice by agents. Consequently sellers should inquire that any agent they use to sell their property is a signed-up member of the Redress Scheme. It costs only £100 a year per office for an agent to be a full member of the scheme so they have absolutely no excuse not to sign up to our Code of Conduct and give their clients the protection they deserve.”
