***What I’m about to vent about may sound dull when you realise it’s about Home Information Packs, but I feel I should share it all the same, as there’s something not quite right going on there, in my experience.
When Home Information Packs were first made compulsory in 2007 for most properties in England and Wales and prior to their introduction, there was a lot of debate around whether or not they were really necessary, and if they were just another bureaucratic loophole to jump through.
But, there are always debates raging around the financial services industry so I took the slamming of Home Information Packs or HIPs as they’re more commonly known, with a pinch of salt, until now that is. Now, I’m going to wade in with a personal gripe of my own.
Why they matter
A HIP is a set of documents designed to provide the buyer with key information on the property such as energy efficiency, gas and electricity safety, flood risk previous structural damage, parking arrangements, a sale statement, standard searches and evidence that the seller actually owns the property to name a few.
All sounds rather reasonable and helpful, but this set of documents is something the seller has to fork out for, and the price of a HIP can range from £300-£1,000.
Bearing in mind moving house is expensive; you’d hope then that this additional cost was one that is absolutely necessary.
Why then when I asked the estate agent marketing the property I’m buying, did they act confused when I asked to see the report and almost discourage me?
I probably should have asked to see it from day one when I first noted my interest, but it just dawned on me a few days ago that I still hadn’t seen the report, so I called the agent and asked for it.
She was dismissive of my request and almost baffled as to why I wanted to see the HIP which has left me a bit confused myself. Isn’t this something a prospective buyer is supposed to see? Isn’t it important? And if it isn’t, why are vendors paying for it?
Money grabbing
According to the estate agent marketing the property I’m buying, if I want to see the HIP I can get a copy from my solicitor, but I explained that my solicitor is charging £30 for the privilege, and why should I pay anymore than I have to?
The agent’s final suggestion was that if I really wanted to see it I could visit their offices and take a read of it there. It just seems a bit odd to me and I’m not sure why the estate agent is being unhelpful over what is really a simple matter.
In fact, I’ve since found out that this behaviour is not really in line with the government guidelines on HIPs as Directgov gives the following advice on HIPs.
“If you are buying a property ask whoever is advertising it for a copy of the Home Information Pack. This is usually an estate agent.
“They must give you a copy of the pack free of charge, they may make a reasonable charge to cover the costs of copying and posting it.”
At the end of the day, buying or selling a house isn’t cheap, and if HIPs really aren’t useful or important or necessary for the buyer to see, why are people forking out for them?
Maybe there’s something the agent is trying to hide from me, maybe they simply can’t be bothered or there is another reason altogether for the weirdness but it’s made me think HIPs are just another moving house cost that we could all do without.-
Permanent link to this post: Making a mock of Home Information Packs
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