Yesterday’s (May 22nd) announcement by Ruth Kelly in the House of Commons that the implementation of Home Information Packs was to be delayed has created a “worst of all worlds” situation according to Michael Day, Managing Director of Integra Property Services.

Home Information Packs are now due to become mandatory from August 1^st rather than June 1^st but will, initially, now only apply to four bedroom houses or larger with other property sizes being phased in at some undisclosed future date.

Michael Day said “The Government has let everyone down with its incompetent handling of the introduction of HIPs. Last year saw a climb-down on the need for a Home Condition Report to be included within the HIP and this left many people who had spent thousands in training as Home Inspectors staring at a much bleaker financial future. Yesterday’s announcement now leaves the door open for Gordon Brown to shelve HIPs completely when he takes up residence at number 10. This lack of certainty is unhelpful in a free market.”

“The real reason the Government has lauded HIPs is the inclusion of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). However, this could easily be produced separately from a HIP and greatly reduce the cost and delay implications for sellers.”

“The industry had little trust in the Government before yesterday’s announcement and what little there was will now have been eroded. Along with many others, we had invested heavily and got ourselves prepared for HIP’s on June 1^st. Many companies set up exclusively to provide HIPs to the industry must now be very worried that their businesses will fold before ever having got started. Ironically this could create a situation where the industry doesn’t have enough capacity to handle HIPs in August which is exactly the reason the Government has used as its excuse for delaying their implementation now!”

He added “If HIPs go ahead as now planned in August it will also be entertaining to see the way in which the industry describes property. I can see very few four bedroom properties in the market (i.e. those requiring a HIP) and a lot of three bedroom houses with the benefit of an upstairs study!”

“Integra Property Services were set up to deliver HIPs from 1^st June and will be ready to deliver whatever is required from August 1^st or otherwise. We employ our own qualified Domestic Energy Assessors and can therefore produce EPC’s in-house. In the meantime, despite the best attempts of the Government to disrupt the industry and the market, we shall carry on delivering the finest range of integrated estate agency services in terms of professionalism, speed and customer service.”