Former NAEA boss scathing on Hips

Posted: 17 Jan 2007 10:55:07 GMT

A former head of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has launched a blistering attack on Home Information Packs (Hips) in a speech to the association

A former head of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has launched a blistering attack on Home Information Packs (Hips) in a speech to the association.

Hips are "the most ill-conceived, ill-researched and ill-tested change to property sales law and practice that England and Wales has ever experienced" said Trevor Kent.

He went on to accuse the government of failing to convince the industry that it had achieved any of the pre-launch objectives that it had pledged to meet.

Hips are currently being trialled at selected areas across the country and are due for a national launch in June, costing sellers between £600 and £1,000.

Each pack will include details traditionally provided in a buyer survey as well as title deeds and new requirements such as information on energy efficiency.

Mr Kent added that the country still did not have enough qualified inspectors to issue the packs and that the current trials had not fully market-tested the system.

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