Government calls time on HIPs | Winston Solicitors
Legal news

Government calls time on HIPs

Jonathan Winston Jonathan Winston
2 min read

Home information packs have been suspended by the new government which looks set to ban them completely. The packs have been suspended for anyone selling their home from May 21 onwards but the government will need new legislation before it can outlaw them. It was also announced that energy performance certificates will be retained.

The death knell for HIPs came when the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats pledged to scrap them in their coalition agreement. The Tories have long been opposed to HIPs, calling them a home information tax and the party claimed that the previous Labour administration planned to use them as a means to justify a council tax rise. Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: “By suspending home information packs today, it means that home sellers will be able to get on with marketing their home without having to shell out hundreds of pounds upfront.”

HIPs have divided opinion ever since their introduction in 2007. The then Housing Minister Yvette Cooper promoted the scheme by saying it would reduce the amount of time taken to buy and sell a home by giving information to prospective buyers upfront. However the packs cost prospective sellers between £299 and £350 and estate agents said that far from helping the housing market, they hindered it by discouraging people from putting their property onto the market.

Estate agents have generally welcomed the move to scrap HIPs but the move will not be so welcome among the hundreds of people who had retrained as home inspectors and who now may well be made redundant as a result. The Association of Home Information Pack Providers says that between 3,000 and 10,000 jobs could be affected.
 

More Winston Solicitors news

Client feedback

They were very good at keeping me up to date and letting me know the progress of my claim
Charley
I would definitely highly recommend the efficiency & good communication thry have & have had several properties successfully completed with
Mr H
Excellent local solicitors would recommend. You can call in the office car parking available and receptionists very helpful if you need help. Dealt with them before, excellent.
Ian
Friendly, easy to understand and comunitive. Would happily recommend they to others.
John
Winston Solicitors was recommended to me, as this was my first time buying a house and didn’t know what to expect. They made the process very easy and I did not have to worry about any of the process as I got to track it every step of the way. Samantha also kept me updated and any queries were replied to promptly. I will definitely be using again in the future and recommend everyone I know.
Mr Michel
I can’t speak highly enough of Sidraa at Winston Solicitors for her exceptional support throughout my house purchase. From start to finish, she has been absolutely brilliant. Her prompt responses, attention to detail, and professionalism made a stressful process feel manageable and smooth. This is actually the second time I’ve used Winston Solicitors, and once again, they have been great. Consistent, reliable, and professional and Sidraa in particular truly went above and beyond. She was always kind, polite, and incredibly approachable, nothing ever felt like too much trouble. Even when dealing with a particularly difficult chain and the added pressure of a new stamp duty deadline, she worked tirelessly to get everything done on time. She responded to queries even out of hours, always called back when she said she would, and genuinely made me feel like a priority. What really stood out to me was her dedication — despite having preplanned annual leave for Eid, she still tried to keep things moving, which shows how committed she is to her clients. Her communication was clear and consistent, and she made a complex process feel a lot less daunting. I felt fully supported and in safe hands throughout. If you're looking for a solicitor who is professional, caring, and truly exceptional at what she does, Sidraa at Winston Solicitors is the one to go to. I’m incredibly grateful for everything she did and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again or recommend her to others. - April 2025
I Younas, Leeds
I would really like to thank both Amr and his assistant Joe. Throughout the whole process they kept me informed, nothing was ever too much. I am a first time buyer, this was a very stressful time but both members of staff made me feel at ease that it would get sorted. Thank you so much both!
Y Hinton, Leeds
Leasa and Julie were fantastic at helping us buy and sell our house. They were punctual, and kept us up to date with what was going on. Their online platform was clear to follow. Leasa's email response time was rapid, this was incredibly valuable. - March 2025
J Salthouse, Leeds
Contact Jonathan