HIPs - Home Information packs - will you put your house on the market before it's compulsory?

[MARGOsBeenPlayingWithMyNooNoo]

I know estate agents are trying to encourage people to do this.

I don't reckon it will make anyone put their house on for this reason only.

what do you think?

We might

My friend is contemplating it because her ehouse in over 100 years old, has no insulation, no double glazing etc. Her reason: Once the energy statistics are down in black and white buyers are more likely to take them into consideration than now, particularly when they can compare like for like with a similar sized newbuild in the same town.

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anyone else?

Yes, we did last year because were worried about these. Well, needed to sell anyway but this speeded up our decision. I don't, however, think they're such a bad idea. But also had a leaking heat 100+ year-old house

Interested that you think people won't put their house on for this reason but, according to a close friend who is an estate agent, people are doing exactly that. They seem to fear not only the energy efficiency element of the sale but also the cost which I understand may be several hundreds of pounds extra for the pack itself

I work for a firm of solicitors and the pack isn't going to cost a huge amount more than searches do but I'm not sure about the survey bit.
My boss is backing HIPS 100% as he thinks it will help things a lot

But you pay those costs anyway, just on house you buy not sell. It would have speeded up our sale no end if they had had them (except teh energy bit of course)

Personally wouldn't, but it would affect how much the house went on the market for. Would look to get that cost back in the resale value iyswim.

Our house was on the market for ages. HIPs would have cost us a fortune, needing to renew the searches and the ones that didn't need renewing would have shown exactly how long we'd been trying to sell the house, which I don't think is helpful. I think they're a terrible idea.

I thought the idea had been shelved by the government?

I think the problem with the costs is that the searches only last for a few months, then you have to get new ones so there goes another £150 or whatever they cost
You don't need to have a survey included in the pack as the government scrapped the home condition element of it - god only knows why - I personally thought that was the whole point of it!

Ah, hadn't thought about teh searches becoming out-of-date. They had to scrap teh survey because who would trust it?

Apparently it's already happening.

1st of june

I'm househunting at the mo, so I am hoping to have a few more houses to choose from

The searches usually go out of date after about 6 months but it depends on lenders

If you put your house on the market now, you will still need a HIP if you don't sell by 31st December.

Hips is shadow of its former self, even the so called local searces in the pack will be incorrect.
see this HIPs