Countdown on hips (the pack, not the body-part)

[WoodYouLike]

Yesterday the 100 day countdown started on the introduction of Hips.

I for one still see more advanteges than disadvantages, but I'm biased (regulations 'back-home' resemble the packs pretty much)

 

[BoxBasher]

So are HIPS just like a homebuyers survey but done up-front by the vendor?

 

[confidentincompetent]

Yesterday the 100 day countdown started on the introduction of Hips.

I for one still see more advanteges than disadvantages, but I'm biased (regulations 'back-home' resemble the packs pretty much)

How do they work back home wood? Do they include a full structrual survey as well as the green side of things?. Are the people who do the actual survey fully qualified surveyors? As far as I can see over here, its going to be £600 shelled out to give an indication of the carbon footprint of the property with no pointers to the basics like subsidence issues. The people carrying out the checks will not be fully honed suveyors merely people who have done a 3 mth course. Of course this will not detract from the banks and building society insisting on a full structrual survey of their own. sooo all I see it as, is yet another burden put onto the already crazy set up.

 

[Daz66]

I looked into training for these last year when i was out of work.

The training was as long as it lasts, if you didn't pass a module you could not start the next one etc. and the cost was nearly £10,000.

The people 'teaching' it where NOT qualified surveyors, in fact they where a highly successful computer teaching company that had diversified, and they tried to tie me into a discount scheme if I worked for them for 4yrs.

I have worked around buildings and the industry for 24yrs and probably know more than their instructors but there was no passes for prior knowledge.

Once qualified I would have to take on Professional Indemnity insurance (very expensive and based on cost of work done) and try and sell my services to local estate agents and potential sellers.

In fact the ONLY part of the HIP pack that will be compulsory for the seller is the energy survey, the 'structural' part is not compulsory. To learn to do the energy survey takes one day at the end of the course and is computer based......strange that its done at the end of the course.

Needless to say I haven't done the course as I would rather spend the money on my mortgage for 10 months than pay out for something that may, in the end, not happen and will probably be scrapped if the is a change of government.

I wait to see if it gets scrapped as its been changed so many times since its inception, if it does there are going to be an awful lot of unhappy, and broke, people around.......

 

[BoxBasher]

Carbon footprint of the house??

In the words of Pantene Pro-V shampoo. Boswellox.

Whats the carbon footprint of two-jags 2 jags? Or the emissions from Ministerial flights everywhere? Or plane trips to "climate change" conferences?

 

[WoodYouLike]

How do they work back home wood? Do they include a full structrual survey as well as the green side of things?. Are the people who do the actual survey fully qualified surveyors?

'Back-home' is works on a very different principle, but the Hip pack is starting to get there a bit.
When you put your house up for sale, the estate agent's surveyer (structural) values the house, looks for possible problems etc and makes a report. This report is handed to any one who's offer on the house is accepted (mind you: offer accepted = offer accepted both ways, no "changed my mind, sorry - that will cost you 10% of the value and buyer signs a prelimonary contract - only valid reason for not having to pay the 10% is when you can't get the finances). Prelimonary contract contains full description of the property (including all known problems of the house and renovations etc) and ownership details. Contracts are signed not through a solicitor but notaris (don't think the U.K. term means the same) and costs for report are included in costs of estate agent (and part of the selling price of course)

This way of working means: houses are being exchanged within weeks (mine only took 3 weeks from putting it on the market to signing the final contract), no chain breaks, no gezumping, no surprises after you have bought the house, straightforward known 'add-on' costs for both parties.

 

[garyslater]

Whereabouts is home, wood? Sounds like we could learn alot!

 

[WoodYouLike]

The Netherlands, (Or Holland as too many of you call it)

 

[garyslater]

Should have guessed - always sounds like a straightforward country with common sense rules