Home seller's pack trial extended

Home Information Packs will become mandatory in June 2007

A trial of new home information packs (HIPs) is to be extended to 12 new locations across England and Wales.

The packs, which aim to give home buyers more information at the start of the process, are already being piloted in six areas.

This will now be extended to include the M4 corridor, Manchester, Cardiff, Coventry, Hereford and the Marches, Plymouth, Leicester and Chelmsford.

Other areas taking part are Nottingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Thames corridor.

Earlier this month the government in conjunction with the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) began piloting the scheme in Southampton, Newcastle, Northampton, Bath, Huddersfield and Cambridge.

The packs will include: Evidence of title Copies of planning, listed building or building regulations consents A local search Guarantees for any work on the property An energy performance certificate.

HIPs are expected to become mandatory in June 2007.

The packs will shift the emphasis from the buyer to the seller to collate information about a property before it is sold.

They are aimed at cutting the number of transactions which fail late in the day.

Opponents claim that the system will lead to additional costs in the homebuying procedure.

Paul Broadhead, deputy director general of AHIPP, said: "While criticism from a number of industry bodies cannot be ignored, we have in fact received a hugely positive response in the first six roll-out locations from both industry and consumers."

Nick Salmon, head of the opposition group Splinta, said: "The key thing to note is it is not a trial. It is a soft roll out of HIPs to avoid a big bang next year.

"It does not fulfil any of the criteria that a proper objective trial would achieve."