Hips Delayed Til 1 August

justaquickie

benood wrote: »

Go on give us a laugh and post her reply on here.

Sorry benood; it's a privately addressed letter and, anyway, I don't want to do anything that might jeopardise me getting replies to future letters I intend to send to Communities and Local Government.

I will, however, include an extract from the (C&LG) HIPS impact assessment report - which was used to counter my suggestion that HIPs might be first implemented on a voluntary basis in order to assess their efficiency (which is how they did the trials - only everything was paid for, too):

• Option 4 – Non-statutory voluntary implementation of Home Information Packs.

18. Option 4 is not supported by experience. Previous attempts at voluntary reforms have not been successful. Transactions with packs would become caught up in chains with other transactions without packs. Transactions involved in chains only move as quickly as the slowest link in the chain. Thus any time savings attributable to the presence of a Home Information Pack would probably be lost in these circumstances. In addition, sellers who
provided and paid for the Home Information Packs might find that they were expected to pay for these items again in their role as buyers.

However, now it seems a phased implementation (4+ bed houses first) is ok after all. So the buyers looking to downsize from their 5 bed property, who I showed around my 3 bed property on Sunday, may need to pay for a HIP to sell their property - but won't get one from me. The stupidity and hypocrisy beggars belief!!!

benood

Thanks Justaquickie, understand that Big Brother might put two and two together if you post the letter here.

Since lenders are unlikely to rely upon a vendor's HIP in my opinion it's more than likely the costs will be duplicated anyway, apparently Ruth Kelly wanted to drop the whole scheme a while ago but Yvette Cooper threatened to resign - they should have taken the direct route if you ask me.

Gorgeous_George

mystic_trev wrote: »

Oh well, according to the EA I spoke to on sunday, it won't make much difference. He told me he'd had three times the instuctions of a normal week, for the past month. He also reckoned that two thirds of these were 'serious' sellers, so perhaps there won't be a Property shortage much longer!

Why? Are all those sellers going to live in a tent?



GG

horace_2

Oh dear MSE posters, it appears that the political point has been missed !

Gordon Brown will (if it goes to plan) be the next P.M in 6 weeks time.
HIPS has been delayed 8 weeks.

What on earth can this mean?
Why only last week Mr Broon was trumpeting the suggestion that he would be a `listening ` Prime Minister. What could be better for Mr Broon to announce that HIPS is scrapped thus proving his creditials of a `listening` P.M?

I would suggest that vast numbers of voting fodder will taken in by this obvious ploy.

A cynical

horace

swampduck

Quote -I expect the no. of 3 bedroom houses with office/computer rooms upstairs will significantly increase after Aug 1st.



How true!!!!:rotfl:

BTman

Gorgeous_George wrote: »

Why? Are all those sellers going to live in a tent?



GG

Of course they will, just like there are people living in tents now because of the so called property shortage.. Don't you get it?;)

hungary97_2

now i am totally confused what to do with my property that is on the market. But not selling as market stagnent here. Without a definate answer for properties with less than four bedrooms. The nice government have just added to the uncertainty in the housing market.

I think i have chosen the worst time (apart from during the last HPC) in history to sell.

CFC

Thank heavens some common sense has shown itself.

Hopefully they will do away with this nonsense altogether. All it's going to do is to create another gravy train for some people....ie those who have paid 3000 odd quid to train up.

I don't know where the figure of 400 quid for a pack comes from...with even 2k trained asssessors (although there are only 520 available) they would have been able to charge exactly what they want, because of the shortage...just imagine paying a couple of hundred quid for your searches for HIP and then maybe 800 quid for an EPC....perfectly feasible, they've got you over a barrel. Just imagine what that would do to the housing market.

I,_Brian

Just in case anyone's confused as to what's required in terms of HIPs for buyers or sellers at present, there's a guide here:

http://www.homemove.co.uk/blog/5-guide-to-hips.html

A little easier to follow than the official government site on the topic:

http://www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/

katecheshire

My daughter has just started working for a company which was going to provide a HIP service. Luckily they have said that they will keep her on (if she wants to stay - as she doesn't want to be twiddling her thumbs) but 8 other staff will be laid off. Plus my BIL has paid to train as an energy inspector. Would you buy car without a log book or MOT? What's wrong with having them for houses?