Consumer research by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) supports the association's concerns over Home Information Packs (HIPs) and reveals the general public's true feelings about the increased cost of marketing a property for sale when the packs are introduced on 1 June 2007.
The Government's guideline cost for collating the pack is between £600 and £1,000. One of the most alarming findings from this research is that a mere 4.5 per cent of respondents felt paying over £500 to collate a HIP was reasonable. In fact, 39 per cent of all homeowners surveyed believe the HIP should cost them nothing at all.
Peter Bolton King, Chief Executive at the NAEA, says: "The Government claims the HIP will be cost neutral. However, this cannot be the case when only 20 per cent of buyers currently bother with any form of survey. With over one third of respondents stating that they should not have to pay a penny to put a HIP together, it is clear that many people are concerned about this additional cost".
