This week I am climbing on my soap box to voice my opinion on Home Information Packs or HIPS as they are better known.
As most of you are probably aware from the 14th of December 2007 a HIPS will be required across the board on every property to be sold, and it will be illegal to market a property without one. I, like most of my fellow agents feel that this is a very bad decision and were actually praying that the whole thing was scrapped. I’m all for legislation that would actually tighten up the property laws but I can really see no benefit of the HIPS only the financial impact on my clients and the implications of not being able to market as swiftly as one might like. As a sales person, I get enormous satisfaction from valuing a property and then immediately calling in prospective purchasers sometimes within half an hour of seeing the property and indeed, I have certainly left a trail of very satisfied clients behind me who have appreciated being put under offer so quickly. Now however, we are strictly forbidden to even discuss a property that we have laid eyes on until the HIP has been ordered, talk about stifled, I feel like I have had the whole essence of my role taken away, Its like someone has pressed the mute button. Another issue I have is that once a sale has been agreed the survey report sometimes comes back with issues such as damp or a leaky roof, I’m usually able to negotiate between the client and the buyer to perhaps rectify the problem albeit with a price reduction or some other angle, this is usually because the buyer has already become emotionally attached to the property. That however is about to change as the property is exposed warts and all from the outset, which I believe will stop a buyer viewing in the first place. I could go on and on but unfortunately its too late, it looks like the dreaded HIPS are here to stay!