Slow week for news in the Home Information Pack 'Playgound'

This has been a quiet week on the HIP front. However, there was quiet an amusing article published in Estate Agency Today, an internet based publication. I am not sure what motivated it, but I have my suspicions. The report read that the Labour Party is looking to pull HIPs in November. This was reported on the basis of information received from a ‘reliable’ source. What does that mean? It came from a person rather than an animal? Surely if it was reliable the source should be disclosed?

Even though I am the first to admit that nothing in this industry would surprise me, it does seem to me that some mischief was at play. I am sure it was not coincidence that this was reported at a time when Grant Shapps was reiterating his intention to scrap HIPs. It was also interesting to see Nick Salmon name appear in a series of comments directly under the article. Mr Salmon is a well know opponent of the HIP. In September in response to a valid and well intentioned survey carried out by Connells to show that transaction times had by virtue of the HIP reduced, he wrote words that to me bare no relation to the world I live and work in: “Is there anyone out there (without a vested interest) who can confirm that HIPs are directly responsible for speeding the buying process? In my experience transaction times have been lengthening during 2009”.

I suspect that the momentum of, and support for AHIPP’s campaign to ‘adapt rather than scrap the HIP’ is beginning to have some effect and is causing some worry in the ‘anti HIP’ camp.

Let’s try and be logical. There was no mention of HIPs at the Labour Party Conference. Is it a logical for the Government to ‘scrap’ a policy that was pushed through with vigour and determination and in the face of both legal and political opposition? Moreover why would Labour wish to give the Conservatives the opportunity to gloat!

There are far more important issues such as Afghanistan and public spending – it amazes me at times why the HIP is given so much political priority and attention. It’s not as if people are speaking about the HIP in pubs, restaurants and on the streets. Are they?????

So Estate Agency Today is you are listening please refrain from making any further editorial mistakes of this type as the credibility of your publication will surely be questioned. If you are having a slow news week why not talk about a safer subject such as the weather!