Insurance News Archive
Estate agents call for Hips to be axed
The government is being called on to axe home information packs (Hips).
Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the National Assocation of Estate Agents (NAEA), claims that the packs have become almost worthless without the Home Condition Report (HCR) element of the packs being mandatory.
He said: "Hips are no use without the HCR."
"Whatever anyone might think about the whole concept of Hips, it is nonsense to make only part voluntary. The majority of the remaining compulsory documents are, at best, often unnecessary before a sale is agreed and, at worst, unintelligible without legal interpretation or likely to become out of date."
One element of the Hips, is however, supported by Mr Bolton King.
He claims that consumers will warm to the energy ratings certificates and pointed out that they stem from EU legislation, not Westminster.
He said: "I personally think the consumer will start getting used to the energy rating. They will use it to see if the house is energy efficient and therefore save on very large utility bills."
"Energy costs have not been something which has worried the consumer too much in the past. However, with the massive rises we have seen in gas and electricity bills this year people might well think that property will cost me less to run."
17 Aug 2006
