The long awaited HIPs (Home Information Packs) are coming this June 1st but surprisingly only 45% of British homeowners actually know what they mean! A fish4homes poll reveals a worrying third (36%) think HIPs is a new strain of hayfever allergy whilst 1 in 10 (9%) believe it relates to an undesirable sexually transmitted disease! The research further reveals the full extent of the HIPs confusion as a bewildered 6% of homeowners believe you are likely to contract osteoporosis in the hipbone with HIPS and a deluded 4% of those questioned opted for modern day hippies. For homeowners already in the know, intense debate continues to surround HIPs and it’s relative value in the long run. Aside from the hype over whether HIPs will be a help or a hindrance to the property market, fish4homes has created the ‘Get HIP Shape Plan’ to help clear the chaos for homeowners and buyers across the UK: The fish4homes ‘Get HIP Shape Plan’ What do you need? • Get a HIP Title – prove you have legal right over the land or property • Get a HIP Sale Treatment – provide the sale description of the property that you are selling • Get a HIP Energy Performance Certificate – provide a certificate which reveals how efficient your home is on a scale of A-G in order to comply with the carbon emission statement • Get HIP Standard Searches – prove you have searches documents e.g. local authority searches, drainage or water searches, or proof you have ordered these • Get a HIP Index – provide documents relating to whether your property is Leasehold or Freehold What will it cost me? • A HIP cost of approximately £450 Who can give me a HIP? • Any HIP friendly organisations such as estate agents or solicitors What else do I need to know? • A HIP house survey is not compulsory but if you do want one, then you need to pay for a Home Content Report at a cost of £200 • If you have a house on the market without a HIP then you will be fined £200 • If you put your house on the market before 1st June and sell within a year then you will be exempt from requiring a HIP David Newnes, Managing Director of YOUR MOVE estate agents comments: “As widely reported in the media there still appears to be a significant lack of consumer understanding about HIPs despite attempts by Government to publicise them. This is not helped by the continued uncertainty about their introduction following the announcement that further parliamentary debates are to take place in the run up to 1st June”. Mark Cooke, National Sales Director fish4homes, adds: “It’s startling to see just how confused many homeowners are about HIPs and what they need to do to keep on the right side of the law. Our fish4homes ‘Get HIP Shape Plan’ provides a handy check-list of key pointers so that our customers can get in great shape for HIPs this summer.”
2007-05-21