Home seller's packs...

[Nemesis]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6119942.stm

I think I'll say put, to be carried out feet first.

 

[Manny]

An energy performance certificate.

I don't intend to move for a very, very long time!

 

[Lime]

This will become another scam apart from it being a waste of time.
I can see the brochures now:-
Free performance certificate with every dpc inserted or plastic double glazing fitted.

 

[thiambal]

The scam will be this....

Those of use who have tried to keep original features like sash windows will be forced to pay a fortune for one of these surveys. The buyers will then use the survey to insist that we knock £000s off the price of our house to cover the cost of replacement windows to bring the house up to an 'acceptable' level of energy efficiency.

For people in modern houses these surveys will just be an expensive waste of money - for those of us in period properties we will be paying lots of money for a stick which others will use to beat our sale price down. A lose, lose situation.

 

[biffvernon]

The buyers will then use the survey to insist that we knock £000s off the price of our house to cover the cost of replacement windows to bring the house up to an 'acceptable' level of energy efficiency.

It can't be quite that simple. There is still a fairly free market place. The Hips change: 'You can buy my beautiful old house for half a million', to 'You can buy my beautiful old draughty house for half a million'. And either way: 'If you don't want it I'll sell it to the next guy'.

(Not that I'm defending the rediculous waste of time and money that will be spent on HIPS.)

 

[thiambal]

The reality being though, once you have found a buyer and a house you want to buy it can be very difficulty not to fall prey to demands for money off - look at the damp proofing scam - how many people have lost £000s because the survey said their was a damp problem.

I just think the HIPS will provide another lever.

 

[Stephen]

Biff

To quote you from another thread:
Gervase wrote:
Richard Oxley's book - it should be a set text for anyone buying a pre-1914 building;

Perhaps it should be included in the sellers' packs - that would make them actually useful.

Richard has been heavily involved in Home Condition Report matters and in fact largely wrote the guidance for Inspectors dealing with older properties.

There has been a lot of rubbish written about HIPs and HCRs in the press. I was against them to start with. I now believe that if properly dealt with they will help to improve the way the property market works.

I was (am) involved in creating a scheme to test the competence of Home Inspectors to deal with odler buildings. If, or when this all comes about it could actually see the end of a lot of the practices we are against at present. Some of the things suggested here that might happen are so far from the truth and ignore how the system is meant to work.

I do not have the time now to develop this discussion further, but as and when this system comes in there are many of us working behind the scenes to ensure the scenarios suggested here cannot happen.

 

[Nemesis]

So will my draughts be OK?

I'll throw in a vest or two into the sale...

 

[NT]

Standards would have to rise a fair bit for it to work, and more quantity of people normally lowers standards, as you have to set your sights lower to get enough through the door.


NT

 

[bower1]

The buyers will then use the survey to insist that we knock £000s off the price of our house to cover the cost of replacement windows to bring the house up to an 'acceptable' level of energy efficiency.

I don't think this will be a problem, because they will (or should) read the information before making an offer. The reason things are such a problem is that the 'survey' is currently done well down the line of selling and by that point pulling out as a seller is not tempting.

By the way, in my recent experience that's the least of the problems in selling the house, I was very pleased on my last sale to only have to drop the price having had two sales fall through because people changed their minds. The house before fell through 3 times because people changed their minds. I lost far more money because of that. And the 'new' system will make no difference there.

 

[Lime]

I think the whole idea of relying on a vendors' survey is plain daft.
Who will trust a survey, perhaps made years before, created by someone you don't know?
It's bad enough trusting your own surveyor sometimes!

It might have the slight beneficial effect in that purchasers who know nothing about old property (and will just mess it up) will be put off and only those more dedicated to older buildings will be interested.
I know I would be put off a purchase if an old house for sale was boasting many modern "attractions".

 

[andrew gayton]

would selling privately not overcome this?

 

[Nemesis]

I think it still has to be supplied...

 

[andrew gayton]

ummm - I think I might never move again...............

 

[Nemesis]

I think many may feel the same!

 

[plumbers mate]

>>I know I would be put off a purchase if an old house for sale was boasting many modern "attractions".

"This recently upgraded property boasts uPVC windows, laminate flooring and an exposed feature fireplace wall ----- snip ---- externally there is an area of decking for outside entertaining and hard surfaced parking for up to three cars"

That's £15,000 off the asking price then. It looked as though it had been a really nice house too but you'd be starting from scratch with it. Why do they do it :-(

 

[Paul Hopper]

to all

I fear that the matter is proceeding at a much quicker pace than we would like.

a look at http//www.thepartnershiplimited.com/html/news.html

might surprise you a little.

Paul
sorry do not know how to make the site come up as accessible from a mouse click. perhaps someone can tell me. (I know.. I'm a bit slow on these things!)
CPH

 

[biffvernon]

Works better with a colon after the http, as in
http://www.thepartnershiplimited.com/html/news.html

 

[Paul Hopper]

Biff

thanks, I said i was a bit slow on these things

there sadly, was the proof.

I am most grateful

Paul

 

[Stephen]

At a recent meeting I was informed by a building surveying taking part in the 'roll-out' trials that the public response so far has been far more positive and receptive to the HIP and HCR than anyone had predicted.

Whatever we may think of them it may be best to consider how best to make the system work well that simply take a negative attitude, as the indications at present are that these will come in eventually.