Whilst HIP suppliers have routinely made grand promises about everything from ease of ordering, instant EPC appointments and 24 hour turnaround times, their approach to the Property Information Questionnaires (PIQs) make Erasmus’s words more appropriate than ever. Providers, faced with the unenviable task of providing a completed PIQ within the HIP are assuming that every vendor will complete an online form within minutes of paying for the HIP. Whilst this approach suits low-price system-oriented suppliers, the reality is that the PIQ will be a time-consuming and drawn-out process. If providers asked estate agents about the effort it takes to ensure clients provide information about their property, the reality will be a little unpalatable. Sellers will want paper copies of the form, which they will then delay in returning, which in turn will require the provider to follow up rapidly and effectively. As properties cannot be marketed without the PIQ in place after April 6th, we expect high levels of frustration from agents using providers that rely on technology for service provision.
Government Advertising
To overcome the lack of awareness about the changes in April, full-page advertisements from the government are starting to appear in the national and regional press. They are focussed on promising buyers that more information will be available about prospective properties for free, and have appeared in the London Metro and regional newspapers across the country, as well as the trade press. This provides the strongest evidence yet about the government’s commitment to the changes and should help drive awareness of the change to sellers.
Trading Standards Inspection
With the scrapping of the first day marketing exemption, questions have been raised about how effectively this new system will be policed. There has been a certain amount of scepticism about the ability of trading standards to cope with inspections of agents. However, evidence is emerging that trading standards officers are actively inspecting agents, with reports of on-the-spot visits in the London Borough of Camden. Agents were asked to demonstrate the process they use to order HIPs, as well as produce copies of a HIP on an existing property and show the Energy Performance Certificate for the rental properties that they had on their books.
PIQ Service
Despite not being obligatory until April 6th, sellers are starting to return completed PIQs to us. We are adopting a three-tier approach to their introduction and are working closely with our clients to minimise the impact of their introduction:
1. Paper copies from agent
We are sending out hundreds of pre-printed copies to agents this week that they can supply to their clients directly on instruction and return to our offices.
2. Paper copies directly to client
From April, sellers will be given the option to receive the PIQ in paper format, with reply-paid envelopes included to accelerate the return process.
3. Electronic delivery
We will send out links to the PDF version of the PIQ – available here, which can be printed out, completed and then returned to the company, as well as a link to the online version for instant data collection.
Please contact us if you have any questions about the process or for copies of the forms.
