Figures show only 20% of buyers had seen a pack before making an offer. Photo: Ahip/PA
Almost three months after they became a must-have item for anyone selling their house, home information packs (Hips) are still generating controversy. The latest skirmish has broken out over the publication of the results of a trial of the packs, which showed that just 20% of buyers had seen a pack before they put in an offer on a property.
The Conservatives, who have long opposed Hips and last year said they would scrap them if they got into government, say the trials show the packs are a "waste of time".
The government says it has been campaigning to raise awareness and get estate agents on board, and that more than 370,000 Hips have so far been prepared. And it says the majority of packs are provided within 14 working days.
According to Rightmove's latest property price index, homes are currently sitting on the market for an average of 93 days before being sold, which means buyers should have plenty of time to receive and read a Hip and make a decision based on its contents.
But if you saw a place you loved before a pack was available, wouldn't you still be tempted to make an offer? And once you've made an offer it can become financially and emotionally painful to change your mind. Surely the process can only work properly, and cost-effectively, when it becomes compulsory for packs to be available from day one?
Did you see a Hip in time for it to influence your decision making about a property? And if you did, did it actually make a difference?
