NEWS

Friday 09th May

First day marketing

The temporary first day marketing provision was introduced after working with industry in order to help smooth the implementation of HIPs and allows a property to be marketed where the HIP has been commissioned and paid for, or arrangement for payment been made, and the documents are expected to arrive within 28 days.

The order laid will extend the temporary provision from 1 June to 31 December 2008

Thursday 22nd November

The Government has today set out its approach and criteria for phasing the implementation of Home Information Packs (HIPs) including Energy Performance Certificates. Sixty per cent of the market is now covered by HIPs and the criteria for roll out to the rest of the market have now been met. The complete rollout to the rest of the market will commence from 14th December 2007.

What this means:

1. All residential properties that are being marketed from December 14th 2007 will require a Home Information Pack

2. The first day marketing period has been extended to June 1st 2008. This means that as long as a HIP has been commissioned and a payment method had been decided a home can be marketed from day one.

3. The requirement for leasehold properties has been simplified so that only a copy of the lease will be required in the HIP. This is for an interim period of six months. After this period all other leasehold information will be required.

eHIP welcome this news and looks forward to providing our customers with the excellent service that you have been experiencing with three bedroom and above properties.

 

Friday 17th August 2007

The Government has today announced that Home Information Packs (HIPs) and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will be rolled out to three bedroom properties from September 10.

HIPs and EPCs are being introduced on a phased basis to ensure a smooth transition in the housing market, and to begin the process of transforming the home buying and selling process in the interests of consumers and the environment at the earliest opportunity.

Following the introduction of the packs for homes with four bedrooms and above on August 1, the Government has today confirmed there will be enough energy assessors, nationally and regionally, to roll out to three bedroom homes next month, having taken into account the operation of HIPs in the market.

 

Friday 10th August 2007

Latest update of DEA and HI numbers

Assessor Numbers as of 9th August

Accredited 2969

Qualified 569

Passed exams 3865

Total Passed 7403

 

Wednesday 1st August 2007

 

Home Information Packs (HIPs) have gone live and will currently apply to homes marketed from 1 August with 4 or more bedrooms.

 

Thursday 19th July 2007

A debate on the HIP regulations took place in the House of Lords yesterday. During the debate CLG Minister Baroness Andrews reiterated the Government’s commitment to the introduction of HIPs from 1 August.

Following the debate a vote was called, which was lost by a small margin. However, this will not affect the introduction of HIPs and EPCs from 1 August, which will go ahead as planned.

Friday 25th May 2007

eHIP COMMITTED TO AUGUST 1ST DEADLINE :

The Government announced on Tuesday 22nd May that they will be implementing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information Packs (HIPs) from 1 August instead of 1 June. The Government has also reached an agreement with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) on their judicial review of Energy Performance Certificates.

How this impacts you: Several changes in the regulations of HIPs will also apply from the new commencement date:

• HIPs and EPCs to start on August 1, implemented on a phased basis. From August 1 packs - including energy performance certificates - will be required for the sale of four bedroom properties and larger. These are the properties which are the most energy inefficient. We will phase in packs for smaller properties as sufficient energy assessors become ready to start work.

• Until the end of the year, we will allow people to market their properties as soon as they have commissioned a pack - rather than making them wait until they have received them.

• As a temporary measure, we will allow EPCs to be up to twelve months old when the property is put up for sale and will consult further on the long-term arrangements for the age of EPCs.
• We will also be inviting councils and registered social landlords to work with us to introduce EPCs on a voluntary basis in social housing, for example at the time of stock transfers. The Government will therefore lead the way in efforts to tackle climate change, whilst providing work for energy assessors in advance of the full implementation of HIPs and EPCs.

Industry Reaction AHIPP The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) has announced its utter disappointment in today’s decision by Ruth Kelly to delay Home Information Packs (HIPs) until 1st August:
Mike Ockenden, Director General, AHIPP said: “This latest decision is at the cost of the consumer and the environment. It appears to have been RICS, through their call for a judicial review, which has ultimately derailed this vital house buying and selling reform, so soon before its planned implementation.

“This is a serious let down and it is both the consumer and the environment which will now suffer as a result of these latest changes. Consumers will have to endure the existing, broken house buying and selling process for at least a further two months, costing them time, money and unnecessary stress. In addition, our homes will continue to release the millions of tons of carbon emissions, which were set to be significantly reduced as a result of the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

“It is difficult to understand how RICS can claim that it is acting in the public’s interest by denying them this much needed reform, and the benefits of reduced carbon emissions as a result of the EPC. “We must also consider the thousands of individuals, many of whom are RICS members, who have invested their time and in many cases, their own money, in training to become Home Inspectors and Domestic Energy Assessors. Many Home Inspectors have already been let down by the July 18th u-turn, which saw the Home Condition Report (HCR), a hugely beneficial element of the pack, made voluntary and now DEAs will feel the same way about the delaying of the EPC. “Industry was and is ready for the introduction of HIPs on the 1st June and it is only the propaganda, spread about by those opposing the packs for their own vested interests that have ultimately led to this delay. Qualified Home Inspectors and Domestic Energy Assessors have delayed applying to become registered because of the political and vested interest opposition, which has created uncertainty among the profession.

“It is absolutely paramount that we now see the Government’s 100% commitment to the new, 1st August date and that the proposed, phased implementation of HIPs is fast tracked, to ensure that HIPs are available on all homes for sale, as soon as possible.
“Today’s announcement is a clear indication that the Government has listened to and responded to industry members such as RICS and their concerns and as a result, RICS now has a responsibility to the consumer, to the industry and to its members to work positively alongside Government and other key players to make this vital reform a reality, and a success when it is implemented on the 1st August this year.
” DCLG Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly said: “We are pleased we have reached an agreement with RICs and potentially avoided a lengthy court case and months of delays.

“The approach we have set-out preserves the principles of HIPs and EPCs, while ensuring a transition period for the people buying and selling their property. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity to make real progress towards cutting carbon emissions from our homes.
” Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said: “Energy ratings for homes will help cut carbon emissions and family fuel bills. Given the serious threat from climate change, it would not have been acceptable for energy certificates to be subject to long legal delays and uncertainty.

” Today we are also publishing the latest figures on energy assessor numbers, we now have 2,500 in training, a further 3,200 who have passed their exams, and 1,500 who have been accredited or have applied for accreditation but only 520 of these have been fully accredited. For implementation on 1 June, we would need more than 2,000 to be accredited.

Whilst more than enough are in the system, the current uncertainty caused by this legal challenge and the campaign of misinformation by opponents have had an impact on the numbers of energy assessors who are waiting before paying out for accreditation. The phasing in of the programme will ensure that the numbers of assessors matches the need in the market place.

eHIP eHIP continue to work closely with AHIPP (Association of Home Information Pack Providers), Government and our customers and remain not only fully committed to the new commencement date but to providing the unrivalled dedicated HIP provision service that we are currently ready to deliver.

We are currently installed in over 70 offices in the South East of England and are continuing to expand our customer base. eHIP’s customers can rest assured that they are in the best possible hands with a HIP provider ready and committed to delivery on August 1st 2007.

Tuesday 24th January 2007
HIP code of conduct released for all Home Information Pack providers:
The HIP Code provides protection for homebuyers, sellers, estate agents conveyancers and mortgage lenders who rely on the information included in a Home Information Pack (HIP) provided on residential property within England and Wales. It sets out minimum standards which HIP providers have to meet.

Wednesday 18th October 2006
Minister confirms Home Information Pack go ahead:
Critics were left in no doubt of government commitment today of the home information pack scheme scheduled to commence on 1st June 2007. eHIP were present at a speech made by Yvette Cooper, the Housing Minister in charge of the controversial scheme, where she made it absolutely clear that plans for home sellers packs are to go ahead as scheduled.
Recent controversy caused by the government turnaround to drop full HCRs from the pack resulted in a call for the scheme to be scrapped by some of the industry’s leading opposers. However the minister restated reasons for not including the full report and predicted a market take up of the full HCR as consumers will be far more likely to negotiate a sale with the added information available to buyers..

Wednesday 18th October 2006
First AHIPP Conference a roaring success:
Congratulations go to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers on their first annual conference. At a well attended event many of us in the property industry listened intently to the housing minister’s keynote speech on Home Sellers Packs.
This was followed up by a talk from Chief Executive of the NAEA, Peter Bolton King, and rounded off with a well quizzed panel debate.
Questions from estate agents from around the country showed disappointment with the lack of support and information they had received from government and other industry agencies highlighting their need for a solution to deal with HIPs. eHIP commented “estate agents have demonstrated a huge lack of information about the whole home information pack scheme,” and has pledged his commitment to provide a complete solution.

Tuesday 6th October 2006
Support for the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)Currently, 27% of the country’s C02 emissions come from residential property. The introduction of the EPC will offer an opportunity for us to tackle this figure and could prove a catalyst in significantly reducing carbon emission across the UK,” says Mike Ockenden, Director General, Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIIPP), in support of Yvette Cooper’s pledge to use the Home Information Packs (HIP) to improve home energy ratings.
“The introduction of the EPC will provide every homebuyer with a comprehensive report on the cost of running their potential new home – information that up until now has not been readily available. The certificates, along with additional incentives suggested by the Minister, such as green mortgages and schemes to offer homebuyers cash to make energy saving alterations, will increase consumer awareness and will encourage homeowners to make a number of adjustments that will lead to savings – in both monetary and energy terms.
“It is a common misconception that it could prove very costly for consumers to make any changes to their homes without incurring huge costs that will not be recoupable for many years. However, there are a number of changes that consumers can make that will prove very cost effective,” adds Ockenden