The latest promises from back-bedroom HIP providers would make even a child-catcher blush. With their free floorplans, virtual tours, photographs and brochures, it seems that their plans to capture agents like the hapless children in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are ambitious to say the least. Indeed, given assurances that their energy assessors have now also become property photographers, we await the results from Boots with mounting anticipation. In our opinion, never has the adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is” been more appropriate, especially given the implications of the Property Misdescriptions Act relating to such matters.
Property Information Questionnaire
In a move that reflects government efforts to listen to feedback about HIPs, a new consultation paper was announced this month. There are changes proposed to the contents of HIPs to include additional information about the property itself such as access, boundaries and leasehold details if appropriate. If approved, this change will be introduced in January 2009 and will require sellers to complete the forms for inclusion in the HIP. The Partnership will provide a solution for capturing this information and planning is already underway for the process change required.
Thatched roofs recognised
It has become clear over the past year that home owners with thatched roofs felt somewhat short-changed when it came to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). While the insulating properties of thatch are well-known, the calculation methods used in the EPC could not take this into account directly and many owners have been disappointed to see that their roofs were not detailed in the report. However, from next month, thatch will now explicitly be included, highlighting its energy efficient qualities.
New Partnership branding
As one of the few companies actually growing its client base significantly, we continue to invest in the business. From September, we will be refreshing our entire brand which will include changes to the website and our HIPs will sport a new, more professional look. Widely acknowledged as the leader in the premium property market, we continue to invest in our people, systems and our materials to ensure that our clients receive the most professional support in the industry.
Association of HIP Providers – an apology
In our last newsletter, it was stated that the Association of HIP Providers had not warned their members that EPCs could no longer be accessed through a direct link. We have been informed that AHIPP did provide details to their clients and we apologise for any distress that this reporting may have caused.
