Grant Shapps cuts HIP red tape and reveals … err… ??
The Conservative HIP policy is being criticised by a number of industry professionals at present and quite ironically from both Pro-HIP and Anti-HIP supporters. The common ground which is uniting these two groups is ambiguity, uncertainty and lack of clarity from Mr Grant Shapps on his intentions and implementation plans if they were to win the next election.
With the current lack of detail that has been given by Mr Shapps, Anti-HIP supporters have acknowledged that chaos in the property market may follow if they were to win the next election and have suggested immediate suspension of the HIP policy if they were to win. The immediate suspension does not appear as if it would be legally possible and would be more complex than they would like. Therefore, this raises questions including exactly how the present Conservative HIP policy will be managed as not to damage the current property market recovery.
The good news is Mr Shapps’s office has contacted us to clarify some points and offered to directly answer our questions posed in a recent article Conservative Home Information Pack policy to stall property market?. We also took the opportunity to ask a few additional questions which Grant Shapps’s office have very kindly indicated that they will answer. Of course, we will provide you with an update as soon as we receive the responses.
This week, Mr Shapps acknowledged the second anniversary of almost all domestic properties requiring a HIP (see HIP exclusions) to be legally marketed by wrapping a ‘semi’ in red tape. This was meant to signify the Home Information Pack legislation which details the requirement for upfront information to be provided about your property when you intend to market your property for sale.
This milestone for the Home Information Pack could have been marked by explaining to the industry and the wider public, the Conservatives’ detailed intentions on their possible ‘Scrapping the Home Information Pack policy’ if they were to win the next election. Unfortunately, this opportunity was lost and instead replaced with quite an amusing publicity stunt. However, we are told the house did look incredibly festive and Christmassy and certainly raised a smile here.
Can we expect that the red ribbon is soon to be cut into sections and sold on eBay and/or be used as vouchers towards discounted estate agency fees from SPLINTA members?
Apparently, Grant released the owners of the property David and Helen Wright, from their HIP turmoil with one sharp cut of his shears. It is written in the stars that Mr and Mrs Wright sold their house due to the publicity soon after and lived happily ever after. Oh, no they didn’t, oh yes they did.
With all the current Christmas cheer, amusement and political posturing we were nearly diverted from the actual issue at hand and the burning questions many are still searching for actual answers to. Hopefully, Mr Grant Shapps will be able to cut through our questions with some detailed answers with his upcoming response.
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