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HIPS Scrapped by the Government

Home Information Packs (HIPs) for residential properties have been scrapped by the new collation Government with immediate effect.

HIPs, introduced in England and Wales in 2007 following a somewhat problematic trial in several cities several years ago, were introduced to speed up the house buying process by obliging sellers to provide information when the property was first put on the market.

The packs were paid for by sellers and contained property information, title deeds, and local searches.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "Today the new government is ensuring that home information packs are history".

"By suspending home information packs today, it means that home sellers will be able to get on with marketing their home without having to shell out hundreds of pounds upfront".

The Minister added: "We are committed to greener housing so from now on all that will be required will be a simple energy performance certificate".

EPCs will be retained

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will still be required by law and must be produced by the seller within 28 days of the property going on the market. 

It is expected that a legal challenge to the ban will ensue, as a whole new industry of HIPs providers was created in the wake of their introduction.

Estate Agents, who rely on the turnover of house sales, however, have greeted the news positively as HIPS were regarded as an impediment to people speculatively putting their houses on the market to test the water. 

Read confirmation of the order from the Communities and Local Government: HIPs are history: Pickles suspends Home Information Packs with immediate effect

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