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Repeal HIPs and return to the drawing board
Mike Ockenden, Director General for the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) responds to the announcement by the NAEA calling Government to repeal HIPs:
“The NAEA now seems to have executed its own U-turn in calling for the Government to abolish Home Information Packs (HIPS) contending that they are unworkable now that the Home Condition Report (HCR) has been made voluntary.
“While I agree with the NAEA that it is nonsense to make a major plank of the HIP voluntary, I believe that home sellers and buyers should be offered the opportunity to sample a HIP, complete with an HCR. Calling for repeal will only worsen the plight of the Home Inspector and make it more difficult for Government to make the HCR mandatory at a later date – as they have indicated they intend to do.
“The NAEA say that they are totally committed to improving the buying and selling process for the benefit of consumers and have previously announced their support for HIP trials. How can they now call for repeal, before any official trials have even commenced and before consumers have had an opportunity to experience the packs?
“It is a fact that the NAEA represent less than half of all Estate Agents in this country and the association seems hell bent on protecting existing practices and the continued growth of the trade. They want to maintain the status quo at the expense of the consumer.
“Members at AHIPP, who include many Estate Agents, are unanimous in that they want to be involved in the roll-out during which we will robustly test the HIP and the HCR in six locations across the UK, from November. We will assess whether the HCR does the job it is supposed to – reduce failed transactions, increase the speed of the process and see if sellers and buyers like it.
“It is our view that it should be up to the consumer to decide. We plan to give them a choice – whereas the NAEA is determined on removing this choice and leaving the consumer to continually suffer the stress and inefficiency of the present system.”
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