Movers set to miss out on HCR benefits

Home Condition Reports (HCRs), which aim to provide an objective look at the quality of a house on the market that is both more comprehensive than a lender's valuation and easier to understand, could suffer from a lack of interest because of expense issues.

That is the prediction of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP), which forecasts an HCR take-up of just 15 to 20 per cent now that the reports are no longer a compulsory part of Home information packs (Hips).

With HCRs costing as much as £300, most homeowners will see them as a cost too far, an AHIPP spokesperson suggested.

"Lots of people will go without it. I think we can quite comfortably say that there will probably be less than 15 or 20 per cent take up across the country of Home Condition Reports.

"The main reason is cost. People are already spending £5,000 on their home and they don't realise that an extra £200 could improve their house no end," the spokesperson noted.


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