Consumers happy with HIPs

The Ipsos MORI survey, commissioned by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP), reveals the following:

• Six out of seven of those surveyed (85%) say that the need to obtain a HIP did not influence their decision about whether or not to sell their home.
• 60% said the information provided by the seller in the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) is useful to buyers, with nearly three quarters (73%) saying it took less than 20 minutes to complete and 75% finding it easy to complete.
• A majority (57%) agree that home buyers should be provided with more upfront information about the condition of the property that they are buying.
• Only a minority (30%) disagreed that providing home buyers with more information about a property before making an offer would improve the buying and selling process.
• Around four out of five (82%) agree that the process of buying and selling properties takes too long.

Commenting, Mike Ockenden, director general, AHIPP commented: "Whilst those inside and outside of the property industry continue to exchange opinions with regards to HIPs it is essential that we ensure the thoughts of the consumer are not lost along the way. HIPs are bringing benefits to the property market and consumers. The research results indicate that upfront information is key and HIPs are obviously an effective way to deliver this benefit to consumers.”