Estate agent takes HIPs petition to Downing Street

A new ‘anti-Home Information Pack’ petition has been launched on the Number 10 Downing Street website by estate agent Harrison Murray’s commercial director, Nick Salmon.

Nick, who also head of the SPLINTA campaign (Sellers’ Pack Law is Not the Answer), is calling for the restoration of ‘First Day Marketing’.

Until April 6 this year, home sellers could have their property marketed as soon as the Home Information Pack (HIP) was ordered - but since then it has become necessary for the pack to be largely completed before any marketing can take place.

Estate agents are reporting that this loss of ‘First Day Marketing’ is detrimental to sellers, buyers and the property market in general. The need for the seller to fill in a seven page ‘Property Information Questionnaire’ (PIQ) is also causing difficulties, according to Nick.

He said: “One example I have been made aware of, is the case of a lady who has had a stroke. She needs to go into a home but has to sell her flat - and quickly. Telling her that the property could not be marketed before the HIP is compiled and that the PIQ must be completed first has caused great distress at a time when she could certainly do without it”.

The SPLINTA campaign is supported by over 2,000 firms of estate agents, surveyors and solicitors who believe there are better ways than HIPs to improve the home buying process and that the consumer is being disadvantaged by the legislation.

Nick added: “Pre-HIPs, good estate agency practice was to alert potential buyers to a property at the earliest opportunity and when appropriate to arrange viewings prior to full marketing. Was the buyer or seller disadvantaged by this? Of course not.”

Members of the public can join the property industry in signing up to the petition on the Downing Street website. The link is: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/restorefdm/