Dry run for Home Information Packs next year

Building surveyors invited to join ranks of inspectors in home information regime.

The United Kingdom Government has announced that agreement has been reached with the home buying and selling industry on the need for a 'dry run' for Home Information Packs next year.

This is as it were the starting gun for the introduction of Home Information Packs as a statutory element in housing transactions early in 2007.

The Government claims that the HIP concept will inject much needed transparency into the field of housing deals by bringing together key information about the condition of the property, its energy efficiency and ownership before being placed on the market.

The scheme has received a broad welcome among the stakeholders which include the CIOB's Faculty of Architecture and Surveying.

Members of the Faculty registered within the Building Surveying Division have already been awarded credit tariff by the Awarding Body of the Built Environment, a concession which allows qualified members to fast-track through the assessment process for acceptance as home inspectors.

John Hughes, chairman of the Faculty of Architecture and Surveying, said that CIOB fully supports the Government's aim of improving the home buying and selling process through the implementation of the Home Improvement Pack.

"CIOB has been involved throughout the consultation period".

"CIOB members are currently working towards attainment of the Diploma in Home Inspection and will play an integral part in effecting the change when it becomes mandatory in 2007".

In a statement on the 'dry run' proposals, the RICS said that a pool of up to 7,000 home inspectors would be needed if HIPs are to be successfully introduced in 2007.

Most of them, it added, would need to come from the ranks of experienced surveyors who currently undertake residential survey work.

Even experienced residential building surveyors will be required to take the Home Inspector Diploma set by the Awarding Body.

The Faculty of Architecture and Surveying believes that experienced practitioners will need between three to eight months training in order to acquire the new diploma.

On this aspect, the Government says together with the industry, it is making efforts to ensure that those who wish to come forward as home inspectors - particularly experienced surveyors who should be able to reach the required standard quickly - will make it possible for sufficient trained people to be available in time for introduction of the Home Information Packs.

Commenting on what she described as a partnership between Government and industry, Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, described the programme's development - originating with the Housing Act of 2004 - as being in good shape.

This includes proposals for the home condition report registers and the 'dry run'.

The aim now is to build public confidence in the scheme prior to its formal introduction early in 2007.

The partnership is looking at a number of options as to how the certification scheme might operate, including a Not for Profit company predominantly owned by the industry and approved by the Government.

Once the operating criteria are agreed, the company is expected to be established in shadow form.

The scheme is likely to develop and oversee the standards for home condition reports and the accreditation of home inspectors.

Draft regulations covering the legal content of the packs will be published shortly, followed later in the year by drafts covering search information, the home condition report and certification scheme, and the way in which the registers are to be held and accessed.

Inspection diploma endorsed by ODPM.

The UK Housing Minister also announced that the Awarding Body for the Built Environment's Diploma in House Inspection, which already carries the approval of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, has now been endorsed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

ABBE, working in partnership with the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of Central England, was contracted to carry out the research work by Surveyors and Valuers Accreditation .

(SAVA) which holds the grant funding from ODPM.

The Housing Minister also pointed out in her statement that the home information pack would include an assessment of energy efficiency as required by the European Directive on energy performance of buildings.

This requires a Building Energy Rating for new residential buildings to be set up by January 2007 and for existing residential buildings by January 2009.

The policy behind this demand, in conformity with the Kyoto Accord, is energy conservation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the grounds that 40 per cent of them, mainly carbon dioxide, derive from energy use in buildings.

The 'dry run' itself is expected to track a representative sample of transactions by buyers, sellers and other involved in the process.

The Government expects that competition between pack providers is likely to keep costs down for both buyers and sellers.

No information has yet been disclosed however about the scale of costs likely to be incurred by sellers or lessors of residential buildings.

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