Hips hit back

The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) has responded to requests to remove search information from Home Information Packs (Hips).

Following calls from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) to remove the searches, AHIPP has argued that the introduction of Hips has reduced costs for buyers.

Mike Ockenden, director general of AHIPP said: "It is not necessary for purchase conveyancers to re-order searches, but even if they do, the cost savings from the inclusion of searches in Hips far outweigh any additional cost.

"In other words, the inclusion of searches in Hips saves consumers money."

AHIPP has quoted research from estate agent Connells that they say shows that those properties that are sold with a Hip go through 12 days sooner than those sold without.

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the NAEA, said that Hips were 'not fit for purpose', the BBC reported.

UK Property News posted on 26/08/2008 16:54:50