Phasing in Hips 'will have little affect on home owners'

The new phased introduction of Home Information Packs (Hips) is not really going to have a dramatic affect on the housing market, according to experts.

Dr Peter Williams, the chairman of housing consultancy firm Academetrics, says that there is very little evidence to say that home owners will be rushing out to sell their homes before the implementation date, which is the August 1st.

Only larger homes with four or more bedrooms will now have to have Hips in the first phase of the packs.

"I think that there will be a problem of definition [of larger houses]," said Dr Williams.

"That will be problematic. The assumption that the government is making is that those people will be wealthy so the extra cost [of a HIP] will make no difference."

Kirstie Allsopp, a TV property expert from Location, Location, Location programme, says that she is disgusted with the government's new plans because people with four-bedroomed homes are not necessarily rich.


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