HIPs now needed for three-bedroom homes

People selling homes with three bedrooms in England and Wales must provide a Home Information Pack from today.

This means that around 60% of the total housing stock is now covered by the rules. They are expected to be rolled out for all homes by November.

However, Home Information Packs have been dogged by controversy since they were introduced. Some industry analysts believe the packs have led to a slowdown in some sections of the housing market.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) claims the number of homes with four or more bedrooms coming onto the housing market fell by almost two thirds in August – possibly because home owners want to avoid the extra expense of providing a home information pack.

Jeremy Leaf from RICS said: "Our members are saying that compared to August 2006, instructions to sell four or more bedroom houses is down by about 60%."

However, Tim Barton of estate agents Drewatt-Neate said this fall was unlikely to be a result of Home Information Packs: "The housing market has been as steady as it usually is during July and August and I don’t think that the implementation of the HIPs has made any significant difference.

"Whether people want to move or not is determined by so many other more important factors."

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