"Beware of cheap HIPs"
4:18pm Sunday 3rd February 2008
HOME-SELLERS risk disaster if they get their home information packs (HIPs) prepared on the cheap, solicitors are warning.
According to The Law Society, HIPs have caused a host of problems for buyers and sellers since they were introduced a year ago.
More and more homeowners are falling victim to estate agents and other non-solicitor providers who offer cheap rates.
Often these packs lack vital information, resulting in incomplete and inaccurate HIPs.
The society warns we could see more unreliable HIPs emerging as the Government proposes to make it compulsory for homeowners to complete one before their home is even put on the market.
Vice-president of The Law Society Paul Marsh said: "Many of the documents required in a HIP are of a legally complex nature but are vitally important to get right.
"For example, standard searches show important details, such as any charges linked to the property, building proposals in the surrounding area and water and drainage services for the property.
"So the best professional to produce your HIP is a qualified solicitor."
A solicitor can also explain what the contents of an HIP mean and identify any legal problems that might be unique to a property.
Mr Marsh added: "Anyone who is selling a home should get a solicitor involved in the HIPs process right from the outset.
"Solicitors can provide a one-stop-shop for getting your HIPs documents in place and have the legal expertise and conveyancing experience to make sure everything goes smoothly."
Your Say YourSt Albans
biker, St ALbans says...
2:11pm Wed 6 Feb 08
Face it they are only another government inspired stealth tax!
interested, London says...
12:05pm Thu 7 Feb 08
sarahtye, Essex says...
10:03pm Thu 14 Feb 08
quote
Richard Hamlin, says...
2:36pm Wed 30 Apr 08
provider, lincolnshire says...
11:00am Sun 4 May 08
Molly, Wales says...
11:41am Sun 4 May 08
K.Dabhi, Flat 25 Mc Clure House, Clarence Docks, Leeds LS10 says...
5:55pm Thu 8 May 08
provider wrote:Please let me know what it would cost to have a Hips report o a one bed flat on the 3rd floor of a 5 floor apartment block, in prime situation at Clarence Docks in Leeds City Centre. The block is only 2 year old.
As a HIP provider this article is complete rubbish!! MANY OF OUR CLIENTS ARE SOLICITORS FIRMS, THEY ORDER THE HIP FROM US, NO WORK INVOLVED FOR THEM, THEY THEN SELL THE HIP TO THEIR CLIENT WITH A MARK UP FEE OF UPTO £150!!! THATS WHY THEY'RE SAYING DONT USE HIP PROVIDERS!!!!!! If they are happy to use us why should the vendors not come to us direct and cut out the middle man????
quotereqd.
Barty, Guildford says...
11:38am Fri 9 May 08
Richard Hamlin wrote:I used movenanny when I moved home and found that the HIPs providers charged far more that going straight to a provider. Clearly movenanny are making a bundle out of home movers!
Sites like www.movenanny.com provide access to best value HIP's, conveyancing, mortgages and other home moving services from industry leading firms like LMS.
Tom, says...
1:13pm Fri 9 May 08
interested wrote:Spot on. The whole issue neatly and succinctly explained!
AHIPP - Amalgamation of Home Information Profiteering Parasites
Liesl, Leek, Staffordshire says...
1:17pm Fri 9 May 08
I moved quite recently and used a site called moveme.com... they have a panel of solicitors on their site, which probably does HIP's too (even though I didn't need one when I moved). Could be worth a look? They were pretty reasonable when I used them. x
mark, london says...
2:03pm Fri 9 May 08
Watch this space, we think we are nearly there in releasing a NOT for profit hip table that shows you exactly what they cost, where you can buy them and whether the providers are any good at all.
Richard, says...
8:15pm Sat 10 May 08
Barty wrote:Bart - you did not use movenanny when moving home. I have also checked the database, and we have no record of you on our system.
Richard Hamlin wrote:I used movenanny when I moved home and found that the HIPs providers charged far more that going straight to a provider. Clearly movenanny are making a bundle out of home movers!
Sites like www.movenanny.com provide access to best value HIP\'s, conveyancing, mortgages and other home moving services from industry leading firms like LMS.
The site has only been live for a week.
We also only have one provider for HIPs
I think you have us confused with someone else :)
Amazingly, and I am sure purely by coincidence there are currently a lot of posts over many forums that sledge MoveNanny and recommend moveme - and not in one single instance have they been correct! Perhaps this is a moveme marketing campaign? And that you are associated with moveme?
And as we know moveme is partly owned by a venture capital firm, and they are all about maximising returns and making a bundle! They recently put another £4 million in, and they will want much more back!!!! Will this come from your new HIP's?
James, West Yorkshire says...
1:27pm Fri 20 Jun 08
co.uk/
I have been led to believe that the law society spent a large amount of money on the development of a HIP portal called MDA who are contracted to search flow ( not the most competitive of search companies). Needless to say the take up has not been great when companies like us are providing a perfectly adequate and legally compliant HIP, sounds like sour grapes to me!! Shame on you law society
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Rosemary Rogers, st albans says...
9:07am Mon 4 Feb 08