Call to boycott home packs

21st July 2006

A leading estate agent is calling for a boycott of the Government’s Home Information Packs scheme (HIPs), following ministers’ decision to water down the contents of the packs.

Last week, the Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, announced that she wouldn’t require the HIPs – which come into effect next June – to include a Home Condition Report – that’s a survey by any other name. Previously, the Government had claimed that these packs would speed up the entire house buying and selling process, enable lenders to get mortgage offers out more quickly and reduce wastage.

Now, the estate agent Spicerhaart says that – without the compulsory inclusion of these Home Condition Reports – HIPs will be of no value to the consumer. It says HIPs without the reports – the “essential ingredient” – will simply result in extra costs and extra red tape, yet offer nothing new.

Spicerhaart’s chief executive, Paul Smith, said: “The whole initiative, which offered great promise and benefits to the consumer, is now a shambles that holds no benefit. As a result we will no longer be supporting this failing government initiative and we are calling for the support of other estate agents to protect the consumer from this unnecessary and costly farce.”

He said: “We are calling on all estate agents to rise up against the Government and refuse to cooperate in producing packs on 1 June next year.”