HIPS not happening - just a Gove hiccup

'OOPs, Gove did it again.' ( sang to the tune of Britney's classic pop ditty) 

On Friday, Tory naughty boy, Michael Gove, dropped another clanger, having decided to proclaim that his party would look to re-introduce the woeful HIPS in their next term.

However, following Gove's radio proclamation, his party has come out to deny they would be proceeding with any such re-introductions.

“The last Labour government’s attempted reforms were a failure. Labour’s home information packs duplicated costs and no-one trusted them.”

Maybe the same could be said for Michael Gove.

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Industry comments on HIPs

I'm sure regular PropertyHawk visitors know that we will be celebrating the end of the woefully wasteful HIPS.

But here's some other reflection from the property industry to the end of this pointless exercise in dubious job creation.

Read the Times view on it
Follow Grant Schapps on Twitter as his sorts out Labour fiasco
Read Propertyweeks take on it all
Read RICS thoughts on the scrapping of HIPS

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HIPS suspension imminent

The HIPS suspension is to be announced this week in parliament according to Estate Agency Today.

Apparently the HIP Reform Group is going to try to launch a legal battle to prevent it saying that it believes it to be an“unlawful use of the statutory power (section 162). It could therefore be challenged in the Court and complaining that

“Suspension of the HIP would kill our industry overnight. "

To me it sounds like a victory for common sense but a disaster for clip board wielding form tickers.

Maybe they should look for a job of equal use, like stick whittling or maybe something actually useful like nursing or teaching, that's a thought!

For a fuller and counter argument read this appraisal of the implications of scrapping HIPs.

Get an EPC here - (the only useful bit of HIPS)

RIP - HIPs

The long lingering death of the much hated and pointless Housing Information Packs (HIPs) has been confirmed.

The Coalition document just released has confirmed that the Tory promise that HIPs will be scrapped is to be followed through. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will be retained.

This means that a landlord marketing a buy-to-let will still need one. Incidentally has anybody heard about any landlord who has been prosecuted for not having one?

RIP - HIPs

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Scrapping of HIPs Tory promise

The Conservative Party have made the abolition of HIPs a manifesto promise.

It is the only mention of HIPs so far in any of the political party campaigns.

The Conservatives have also promised to make permanent the £250,000 threshold for Stamp Duty.

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The HIP's industry cry for their salvation. Bless 'em!

I've just received another whining press release from the "Hip Reform Group" trying to get some support for their campaign to save themselves following the news that the Tories are going to get rid of them.

Talk about a self serving joke of an industry sector.

They even call themselves the "Hip Reform Group" which makes me think that even they dont think HIPs as they stand work very well.

If you are at all interested in saving this joke industry go and listen to their bleating cries as they limp towards the grave.

Read their latest whinging release below. You could cry for them if they weren't such a complete waste of time and money. Bless!

Here they whinge -

"We wrote earlier this week to inform you of the establishment of an action group – www.hipreformgroup.com - that has been formed to act as a focus point for those within the industry who believe that the abolition of home information packs would not be a positive step for either the industry or the consumer.

Those who advocate abolition are aggressive in their attack on the industry labelling us in some reports this week as ‘parasitic’ and calling upon us to ‘get real jobs’!
As can be seen there is a lot of anger out there!

Our primary aim is to inform and to press for reform on the back of the HIP. There is reference to a ‘fighting fund’ - this is not a main priority and hopefully will not put supporters off from registering their support.

It’s FREE to join and only takes a few seconds! Unless we all join together and show that we are united in our belief and actions, I am afraid there appears little hope for us as an industry if the Conservative Party is elected. Please therefore register if you have not already done so and also call upon family, friends, colleagues, customers and suppliers who support the aim to join up and help us get our voice heard."

It beggars belief!

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HIPs could go in 100 days of Tory victory

Latest reports indicate that the Tories could get rid of HIPs within a 100 days of obtaining power.

This figure was mentioned by Shapps at the Home Sale Network conference last week.

The legislation that bought in HIPs does have a clause for the Government to suspend HIPs although experts believe that HIPs would instead be abolished by the use of secondary legislation.

This announcement came as a group the HIP reform group forms to campaign against the abolition of HIPs.

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Group formed to fight for HIPs

We have reported before that the Tories are intending to scrap the much criticised HIPs

Good! Would anybody mourne their passing? Would any buyer be urging the seller to get them a HIP before they really decided to buy a property. Off course they wouldn't.

It turns out that there is one group who will be sad to see them go. The HIP surveyors. As far as I know I don't think they wear dandy boots and fur coats - but who knows?

It turns out that they want to keep them because......................they'll be out of a job without them. Fair does, I'm sorry on a personal level if that happens but if we run an economy just to create useless meaningless jobs we'll never get out of this economic mess.

No guys the HIPs just gotta go!

If you want to know what a HIP club looks like have a look at their website

Finally you will still need an EPC if you are letting a property

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HIPS to be scrapped by Conservatives

The Conservative Party would scrap home information packs (Hips) “in a matter of weeks” after coming to power, the Shadow Housing Minister said yesterday.

Grant Shapps, housing spokesman for the Conservatives, told The Times that it would be his first task, should his party win the next general election.

Gordon presumably stills thinks they were a good idea. Who knows?

Read full article here

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ERP's replacement for limping HIP's

Any regular readers of this blog will probably know that we didn't think much of HIPs, and have been calling for a HIP replacement ever since they limped onto the market.

Well, here comes the ERP. Let's hope this brings some improvement to this Government exercise in pointless form filling.

We all live in hope!

Simply HIP, one of the UK’s largest Home Information Pack (HIP) providers is set to upgrade all their HIPs in favour of the new, improved Exchange-Ready Pack.

The Exchange-Ready Pack helps a buyer’s conveyancer proceed more quickly with the transaction once an offer has been accepted by including some, if not all, of the legal information required to prepare a 'solicitors contract pack' at the start of the process. In many cases this halves the time taken to get to exchange of contracts due to the extra documentation included in the packs.

In addition to the documents contained in a standard HIP, the Exchange-Ready Pack contains:

· Contract for sale prepared by a lawyer
· Seller Property Information Form
· Fixtures & Fittings Form
· Additional documents referred to in the Register
· Copies of planning permissions, building regulations consents and guarantees supplied by the seller
· Lawyer’s certificate confirming the pack is exchange-ready

HIPS - should we keep them?

We are fools for statistics and surveys but we should really always question the validity of these supposed indicators.

We all feel that HIPs have largely been a waste of time, and changed very little if anything in the property buying process. Whenever I mention them to estate agents they smirk and raise their eyes, however they have probably enjoyed some of the affiliate commission they have pulled out from home sellers whilst they've not actually been able to sell any properties.

However, The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) have just commissioned a survey that supposedly proves the validity of these costly packs, and they are going to use this 'research' to lobby the likes of Grant Schapps and other Tories who are wanting to get rid of this nonsensical Labour whimsy.

Here's what 'their research discovered'. (I've added some thoughts in grey.)

CONSUMERS & HIPS – THE TRUTH REVEALED ( bold title - maybe over egging?)

New research shows what British consumers really think of Home Information Packs

New research out today reveals the majority of Home Information Pack consumers are satisfied with the delivery of their HIP, with further findings demonstrating the ease with which they were completed and support for the provision of up front information in the home buying process.

The Ipsos MORI survey, commissioned by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP), ( not biased then ) reveals the following:

Six out of seven of those surveyed (85%) say that the need to obtain a HIP did not influence their decision about whether or not to sell their home. ( so 15% less property for sale because of them - great! )

60% said the information provided by the seller in the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) is useful to buyers, with nearly three quarters (73%) saying it took less than 20 minutes to complete and 75% finding it easy to complete ( does the fact that they're easy to fill out make them worth having?)

A majority (57%) agree that home buyers should be provided with more upfront information about the condition of the property that they are buying. ( ok? so 43% don't .......surely everyone would like as much information as possible, if its FREE - bizarre question)

Only a minority (30%) disagreed that providing home buyers with more information about a property before making an offer would improve the buying and selling process. (this isn't even a point - who wrote this survey?)

Around four out of five (82%) agree that the process of buying and selling properties takes too long. ( blimey, this is now getting embarrassing)

Did they not think of asking if those people who had sold or bought a property using a Home Information Pack thought it was worthwhile or not? Or if anyone thinks it worthwhile paying out for them? Funny that.

But would you if you were the trade body involved with making money from these questionable documents.

Lets keep EPCs and ditch the dodgy HIP, its time for a replacement. Listen up Tories lets see that you can see through the lies, damned lies and statistics and use some common sense.

Please leave your thoughts on HIPS.

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HIPS - to be squared

Interview with Mike Ockenden, Chairman of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) on the future of HIPS under a Conservative Government.

One things for sure they require a raft of changes to make them worthwhile.

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HIPS are a failed Government idea that need to be scrapped

Gillian Charlesworth, RICS director of external affairs, said "It is clear that the HIP has failed to improve the consumer's experience of buying and selling homes."

Is there anything good to say about them?

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