Call to keep HIP concession

Posted on 29 January 2008 by Charcol

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The government should abandon a change to home information packs (HIPs) due in June, according to a campaign group.

Under the current system, homeowners can market their property as long as they have commissioned a HIP, and that the pack is completed within 28 days of the property going on sale.

The concession, known as "first-day marketing", was always intended as a temporary measure.

Last month, the government announced that, from 1 June 2008, sellers must have obtained the completed pack before they can market their home.

However, Sellers' Pack Law is not the Answer (SPLINTA) says that first-day marketing should be retained, and has created an e-petition on the 10 Downing Street website calling for its preservation.

In notes on the petition, SPLINTA's Nick Salmon argues that the change "will cause delays for sellers wanting to begin marketing quickly and is an infringement of the personal liberty to sell a property at will".

Commenting on the petition, which had attracted 3,700 signatures by Tuesday lunchtime, he added: "There is no sustainable argument in favour of ending first day marketing and the strength of feeling about this is making itself shown in the rapidly escalating number of signatures on the petition."

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