| 03/08/2008
We are now one year on from the launch of the controversial Home Information Pack. Despite the ongoing divide over the value of the HIP we as a supplier can tell a different story to that often regurgitated in the media.
One of the biggest challenges faced in the last year has been raising consumer awareness of the HIP. This has invariably been a task bestowed upon the estate agent as the first contact for prospective buyers. It seems however that there has been a lack of diligence on the part of some agents to distribute the HIP to the prospective buyer. We are keen to see how Estate Agents can be facilitated in the process of establishing good practices to raise awareness.
One thing that I can say about HIPs is the market has moved pretty quickly in the last year. Through the innovation of our systems and the relationships we have developed with our suppliers we have managed to push the cost of the HIP below £200, a feat that we could not have predicted when we started out. We have also seen a gradual improvement in the lead times on local authority searches with many packs now completing within 7 days.
The need for transparency in the UK property market is something I feel strongly about and I maintain that the HIP is certainly ushering us in the right direction. I try to remain objective about the HIP and I agree that we must work with the government to improve the packs going forward. I am pleased with the work of AHIPP in their efforts to bring together the collective interests of companies such as ours who can provide first hand feedback on the challenges faced.
We are also seeing an indication that the Land Registry are adopting a more proactive role in addressing the needs of HIP suppliers and Search agents and I am confident that we will start to see improvement in their operations over the next year.
There are certainly some challenging times ahead with the UK property market as a whole but we will continue to improve the service we deliver and provide our customers with the most competitive HIP solutions available.
Glenn Drake
Managing Director
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