Roll out of HIPs for Remaining Housing Stock

Since Home Information Packs (HIPs) were implemented for all properties in England and Wales with three bedrooms or more, HIPs have been delivered to consumers efficiently and professionally by the new HIP provider industry.

Now the AHIPP urges the Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, to lay down the commencement order to extend the rollout to all remaining properties.

There are now over 5,000 fully accredited Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs) ready to provide Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), a substantially higher number than the Government’s target of 3,000 for the full national roll out of HIPs. For HIPs to do their job properly they need to be rolled out to all properties up and down chains of transactions. Not only will this speed up home buying and selling for all consumers, but it is fair for all.

Presently anyone selling a home with three or more bedrooms and buying a one or two bedroom home is penalised by having to pay for the information in a HIP on the sale and also on the purchase. Clearly this situation should be rectified as soon as possible.
 
According to Mike Ockenden HIPs are particularly beneficial to first time buyers, saving them money on their first purchase, making it less stressful and removing one of the barriers to home ownership. People entering the property ladder for the first time are more likely to buy a one or two bedroom home so it is important to roll out HIPs to these properties as soon as possible.

Mike Ockenden, Director General of AHIPP, said: We have seen that the roll out of Home Information Packs to three and four bedroom homes has gone very well and I now strongly urge Government to extend the implementation to all homes put on the market, so that Home Information Packs can really start to do the job they have been brought in to do. It is time for all home buyers and sellers to benefit from this vital reform.