Home Information Packs suspended
Published June 2010
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government has announced the immediate suspension of Home Information Packs (HIPs), with primary legislation to follow in order to abolish them completely.
As a result, anyone selling their home after midnight on 21st May 2010 will not be required to provide a pack, although they will still need to commission an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to show how energy efficient the property is.
The move, which both parties had pledged in their election manifestos, is intended to help the housing market and economy recover by encouraging people looking to relocate to sell their properties.
HIPs, which cost sellers hundreds of pounds, were introduced in August 2007 for properties with four or more bedrooms in an attempt to speed up the house selling process. They were then extended to all other homes, and from April 2009, a pack was required before an owner could start to market their property.
