HIPs

[TimberWolf]

I had an estate agent come round with a view to putting my flat up for sale and he said I needed a HIP before he could start to market it. They offer one for £400 and he says there are cheaper ones available, but some of them may not be worth the paper they are written on. I haven't clued myself up on HIPs yet, but there do indeed appear to be much cheaper ones available, e.g. on-line. Any comments?

 

[sasguru]

Tell the estate agent to pay for the HIPS or you'll get another agent.
In the current climate, they will jump at the offer.
Job done.

 

[expat]

I had an estate agent come round with a view to putting my flat up for sale and he said I needed a HIP before he could start to market it. They offer one for £400 and he says there are cheaper ones available, but some of them may not be worth the paper they are written on. I haven't clued myself up on HIPs yet, but there do indeed appear to be much cheaper ones available, e.g. on-line. Any comments?

Definition of "worth" of a HIP?

 

[Bagpuss]

I had an estate agent come round with a view to putting my flat up for sale and he said I needed a HIP before he could start to market it. They offer one for £400 and he says there are cheaper ones available, but some of them may not be worth the paper they are written on. I haven't clued myself up on HIPs yet, but there do indeed appear to be much cheaper ones available, e.g. on-line. Any comments?

Go Online, he's obviously on a kick back

 

[Bagpuss]

They said with Elvis it was all in the HIPS.

 

[EternalOptimist]

Chap I worked with many many moons ago set up in business supplying HIPS.

Just in time for the market to go through the floor...

Oooops.

Did he have to pay for training and set up ?

 

[Cyberman]

Many agents used to start marketing a property before a HIP was in existence, and not many buyers ask to see a HIP anyway. Try another agent, and also get the agent to pay for it, as a previous poster stated. If you wait until June 2003, HIPS will be abolished anyway, and that should be a nice positive boost to the market.

 

[PM-Junkie]

I had an estate agent come round with a view to putting my flat up for sale and he said I needed a HIP before he could start to market it. They offer one for £400 and he says there are cheaper ones available, but some of them may not be worth the paper they are written on. I haven't clued myself up on HIPs yet, but there do indeed appear to be much cheaper ones available, e.g. on-line. Any comments?

none of them are

HIPs are simply a stealth tax on selling houses. Vendors don't want them, buyers don't want them, and estate agents view them as a pain in the neck.

 

[swamp]

I'm going to be putting my own flat on the market soon, and the HIP is the last thing I need to deal with. I'm going to look for an agent who will market my property without one.

 

[Cyberman]

none of them are

HIPs are simply a stealth tax on selling houses. Vendors don't want them, buyers don't want them, and estate agents view them as a pain in the neck.

It seems at last that some others are at last coming round to the idea that most HMG initiatives have a stealth tax element involved.