Main menu

'Not all bad'

Submitted by: MikeC (Admin) on 06-Oct-08 08:18:31 PM

The Law Gazette reports that Owen Inskip, an adviser to shadow housing minister, Grant Shapps, has told The National Conveyancing Congress in London that the Tories:

...plan to abolish the controversial sellers’ packs could change by 2010, as their existence is ‘not all bad’ and they help people prepare for sales.

Tory HIPs rethink | The Law Gazette

Presumably this didn't fit well with the predominant mainstream media's agenda?

This is not the same as saying, however, that Home Information Packs will remain the same.

Get listed on the DEA locater - FREE!




Posts: 3
Comment
You are joking right?
Reply #1 on : Wed October 08, 2008, 20:17:59
Oh dear chap, way off target with that idea. Although Owen Inskip made some comments about maybe keeping HIPs, he was slapped down by Grant Shapps very swiftly who has stated that he made his Conference speech affirming the policy to scrap HIPs. It even appears on the Tory policy page here: http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Housing.aspx

and as he told Estate Agent Today: “We are scrapping HIPs, as per my speech at the party conference. We will look at anything useful to come out of the HIPs fiasco.”

http://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/News/Story/?title=Tories%20WILL%20ditch%20HIPs%2C%20promises%20Shapps&storyid=1107&type=news_features
admin
Posts: 2
Comment
Re: 'Not all bad'
Reply #2 on : Wed October 08, 2008, 23:23:31
From little seeds acorns grow, Neil ;)

I wouldn't be surprised if they held onto HIPs, perhaps with a remould (and new name) - it will become more difficult for them to repeal if HIPs are demonstrably shown to work.

I think we both know ministers must toe the party-line on matters of policy so I'm not surprised Shapps has publicly rebuffed the idea - a conversation is clearly happening, though.

Posts: 3
Comment
Re: 'Not all bad'
Reply #3 on : Thu October 09, 2008, 08:59:10
Yep, I think we'll see rebadged HIPs, without searches in which will cheer up the Law Society and the NAEA but naturally will upset the personal search companies. If the Property Information Questionnaire becomes embedded in the process next year, then at least the HIP will have something useful in! Problem is, every time an element is taken out of the HIP, the compilation costs can be reduced, this means the larger players are obliged to run on ever lower margins to compete with one-man band Pack Providers to compete.

As we have already seen in the industry, low cost = low quality. The HIP is not an process that can be fully automated, properties are complicated and expensive things, and the paperwork that proves this is not something to be given to idiots to manage.

The only thing worrying the short term 'fast-buck' pack providers right now is the access to deferred payment facilities. With HIP Payment Services pulling out and the credit crunch taking its toll, life is much harder for lenders right now, and with agents not really tracking where sellers move to, trying to get hold of payment 9-10 months down the line is proving more tricky and expensive than one might have thought.

Posts: 3
Comment
"Not all Bad"
Reply #4 on : Sat October 11, 2008, 21:27:10
I think it entirely likely that the Tories will "re-model" the HIP,(perhaps it'll become a "HOP"..), and keep the good, that being the required epc,along with introducing new aspects to further improve the home sale/purchase process.
I have spoken to Grant Shapps on a few occassions and without being politically biased he seems to be a pretty straight up and down guy.Yes, he is a politician, but his standpoint is to make it transparent and easy. "It" being, the process as descibed above.
Interestingly he does appreciate the value of an HCR -HCS type survey,(having had one provided for him on his own home) and understanding the plain english factual nature of the report/survey.He also has empathy toward Home Inspectors and their plight and thats a second reason for his positive stance.
The only fly in the ointment from my standpoint is that he sees big energy companies to be the mechanism for implmentation of his new package,when and if he gets the job. That could be an uninteresting format in my view.
admin
Posts: 2
Comment
Re: 'Not all bad'
Reply #5 on : Sat October 11, 2008, 22:41:55
If Scottish and Southern Energy are anything to go by, the energy companies might already have beaten him to the idea before/if he gets in office, Pat!

(They are taking on around 500 DEAs)

Blog Posts

Login

Subscribe

Stay informed - no email required.

RSS Feed

What is RSS?

Join in
Twitter feed

Recent Podcasts

Just for fun: Cock-ups & Highlights - Mashup
From the cutting-room floor

31: DEA Roundtable 3: Get rid of "low-life scum"!
John Semens and Malcolm Scott

30: Quest Associates: Software, EPCs, HIPs and chat
Tom Parker, Colin Blears and Liam Parker

29: ProDEA: Passion, pin-ups and pro-activity
What's so different about ProDEA then?

28: Northgate Accreditation Scheme: Russell Osborne
Domestic Energy Assessors welcome

More: DEA podcasts

Recent Articles: