Hips to highlight asbestos problems

Posted: 28 Feb 2008 11:08:27 GMT

Home information packs (Hips) will help to highlight problems with asbestos before a purchase is secured.

Home information packs (Hips) will help to highlight problems with asbestos before a purchase is secured.

That is according to the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), which has warned of the dangers of the material.

Homeowners have been advised that they should contact their local authority if they believe that they may encounter asbestos while carrying out DIY work.

However, the NHIC believes that problems with asbestos can be revealed earlier as a result of Hips, meaning buyers can ask the current owners to fix the problem before buying the property.

"With the advent of the Home information packs, anything like [asbestos] should come to light when a survey is done," said Andrew Leech, technical consultant to the NHIC.

"I would think that if you've got your heart set on a house and then you discover that it's got asbestos lining in it, you should say to the vendor: 'You either put this right before we buy, or we won't purchase'

"It's something which people need to be aware of when they're buying a house," he added.

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