RSS Postings
END OF THE ROAD FOR HOME INFORMATION PACKS (News (General))
by administrator 
, Thursday, May 20, 2010, 09:39
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Housing Minister Grant Shapps today announced that with immediate effect, they are suspending the requirement for homeowners to provide a Home Information Pack (HIP) when selling their homes.
Mr Pickles today laid an order suspending HIPs with immediate effect, pending primary legislation for a permanent abolition.
According to the Government, HIPs are currently holding back the housing market because sellers are having to fork-out extra cash, sometimes hundreds of pounds, just to be able to put their home up for sale.
It believes suspending HIPs will reduce the cost of selling a home, remove a layer of regulation from the process and provide a welcome help to the housing market during the recovery.
Mr Pickles and Mr Shapps also said that the Government is determined to help people reduce their energy bills, improve our energy security and tackle climate change by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes.
Sellers will therefore still be required to commission, but won't need to have received, an EPC before marketing their property, and the Government will consider how the EPC can play its part in the new drive for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy.
Mr Pickles said: "The expensive and unnecessary Home Information Pack has increased the cost and hassle of selling homes and is stifling a fragile housing market.
"That's why I am taking emergency action to suspend the HIP, bringing down the cost of selling a home and removing unnecessary regulation from the home buying process.
"This swift and decisive action will send a strong message to the fragile housing market and prevent uncertainty for both home sellers and buyers.
"HIPs are history. This action will encourage sellers back into the market, and help the market as a whole and the economy recover."
Mr Shapps added: "This is a great example of how this new Government is getting straight down to work by cutting away pointless red-tape that is strangling the market.
"Rather than spending out hundreds of pounds for nothing in return we're stripping away bureaucracy and letting home owners sell their properties.
"But we're also showing our commitment to a greener housing market by keeping Energy Performance Certificates and making them more relevant in helping buyers make informed decisions on the energy costs of their new home."
