Urgent Help: HIP invoice

Red_Elle

I put my house on the market with an agent 9 months ago. In the terms that I signed I agreed to pay a fee of £299 plus VAT for the HIP if it remains unsold in 9 months. I thought at the time it would sell.

It did, 3 times, and fell through 3 times!

I know I have to pay this, but do I get the HIP? For all I know, they could have not done a HIP and just be charging me for it. Can I ask them to send it to me, so that I can choose to go with another agent? Why would they send an invoice out to me for something that I have never seen?

Unless I am completely missing the point. Someone please help. I have to pay it in 7 days and I am struggling with funds as it is.

Thanks

benood

I'm not sure of the legal position, but; if you're not planning to change agents and if the sale didn't fall through because of anything you did I would have a chat with the estate agent about deferring payment. Obviously you expected them to sell the place within 9 months so negotiate along the line of they haven't fulfilled their moral obligation to shift the house and see where that gets you.

Bear in mind too that at some point your HIP will need to be updated - is it a year?

hfdka

You can request a copy of your HIP. Most HIP providers will send a hard copy to the agent and also a link for it to be accessed online. Agents only keep copies in the office for ease of access if a prospective purchaser requests to see it. We never send the HIP to the owners unless they request it, I wouldn't imagine for a moment that they agent hasn't carried one out - the government have advisers who do check and the fines and damage to rep are not worth it.
Re paying - check if the agent carried out the HIP or if (more likely) they outsourced to a HIP provider, you can then approach them direct for payments. I think you've done well to defer it for 9 months though; I've only ever heard of 6 months as parts of the HIP are only valid for 6 months.
If your agent has sold your house three times in 9 months I'd say they are doing a good job in the current climate, but if your thinking of moving agents why not try to negotiate the same % fee you have with your sole agent for a multi or joint agent? You have nothing to lose and they will be keen to secure a sale so all their hard work is not undone.

Red_Elle

Thanks. They've been good, and I've been happy with them. Really I'd probably be more likely to take it off the market than move agents. I can't see it selling and I have now set up business from home anyway.
Until I move into serviced offices I wouldn't want the hassle of moving a business and a home.

Richard_Webster

If you pay for it then the HIP is yours to do what you like with.

When I do HIPs I put them on a website and give my client and the estate agents the link so they can pass that on to anyone interested. If the client requests a printed copy we supply it.