Insurance News Archive
Home information packs to get trial run
New promotional campaigns and test runs for home information packs (HIPs) have been announced by the government, amid continuing debate over what impact the packs will have on the UK property market.
The scheme will be promoted with a new advertising campaign, reports Banking Business Review Online, while a dedicated website has been launched and a dry-run confirmed.
"Home Information Packs have been long called for by consumer groups to give people reliable information at the beginning of the process," explained housing minister Yvette Cooper.
"Now the dry run will make sure that all aspects of the Packs are properly tested before being fully introduced next year."
Despite this proactive approach by the government, there remain a few sceptics who believe that the packs will not run smoothly and that they will end up costing homeowners more than the existing system.
"This will simply shift existing problems from the middle of the process to the beginning," argued the National Association of Estate Agents, while others have described HIPs as a "stealth tax". 
© Adfero Ltd
11 Apr 2006
