Pack to front

AS if the battered property market didn't have enough to cope with at the moment, the government has now introduced changes to Home Information Packs.

From April 6 next year if you are selling your home, you won't be able to even put it on the market until you have all the key documents for your HIP in place.

Currently you have 28 days from when the property is first marketed to get everything together-so you can still advertise your home.

Amazing. In the week when the government met with the banks and building societies to discuss rescue packages for those who can't pay mortgages and are in fear of repossession, what do they do?

Yep, that's right. They add another layer of paperwork into the buying and selling process. As Homer Simpson would say DOH!

The measure will hit at the start of spring-just when everyone was hoping there would be a sales revival.

In principle I've never been against HIPS. But without the up-front survey they were supposed to include when they were first discussed, they are not that helpful.

Blame

Be honest. How many of you who have bought a property since they were introduced have read the Energy Performance Certificate?

As for the searches, they are really only useful for a couple of months, not the life of the HIP of which they are a part.

The good news is that HIPS have not been responsible for an apocalyptic end to the housing market as was feared. For that we can blame the banking system. In one respect HIPS have done some good because now, if a property IS on the market, you at least know that the seller is serious.

It used to be common for people to advertise their homes for sale to see what they'd get for it. And a lot of them were wasting everybody's time and just testing the water. Not any more. The £200 HIPS price tag has put the tyre-kickers off. But from next April the work for selling will largely have to be done up front. That means you will need to pull together an Energy Performance Certificate, the sales statement and Land Registry details before ANYTHING else can happen. You'll still have 28 days to get your searches done. A new element will be a Property Information Questionnaire which will ask about flood risks, gas and electrical safety, service charges, structural damage and car parking arrangements.

The form for the vendor is a legally binding document so there is no room for fibbing.

In Scotland, Home Reports, which vary slightly from HIPS in England and Wales, were introduced on December 1. They are more sensible as they contain what's called a Single Survey-a report on the condition of the property and its value.

So if you're serious about selling your property after April you will need to do your HIP homework first. It will will take about a week to prepare and until it is done, your agent can't put your property on the internet or arrange viewings. Be warned.

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