Government 'must review HIPs'
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Posted: 26th Aug 2008
"Urgent action" needs to be taken on Home Improvement Packs (Hips), according to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).
The group is calling on the government to make immediate changes to the controversial packs which it says are "not fit for purpose".
Its calls come as many homeowners continue to struggle to sell their properties due to the economic downturn in the UK.
Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the NAEA, said that the current state of the housing market rendered many parts of the packs pointless, such as local searches which are often out of date when a property is eventually sold.
"The time has come to rectify the situation and come up with a system that works cohesively and efficiently for both buyers and sellers," he said.
"If HIPs are going to continue, then we, along with other major stakeholders would like to see them including only information that is of some use."
He added that with today's financial difficulties it was time to stop the "ridiculous repeating of information and shameful waste of consumers' money".
Hips were first introduced for homes in England and Wales on August 1st 2007.
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