HIPs demise does NOT impact the market

The widely held view among the Estate Agent fraternity seems to be that the removal of HIPs would free up the market.

Early signs tend to suggest that this is not the case. Maybe the general recession and uncertainty about Capital Gains Tax (CGT) are now having an effect.

Certainly Energy Performance Certificates, priced in the very reasonable £50 - £100 range should not pose the same angst to the seller, this is an affordable price and with a bit of positive messaging, EPCs should be seen for what they are - a good vehicle for driving up energy awareness amongst the home owning community.

Any good Energy Assessor will have studied their subject matter enough to give advice or feedback on the content of the EPC, so don't be afraid to ask for help if you cannot understand some aspects of the report.

So back to the housing market - what do Estate Agents now think is the inhibitor - HIPs will inevitably become a red herring - the key driver will always be the cost of borrowing and availability of mortgage funds, especially to new buyers. Without new buyers coming into the market, there is no impetus to feed up the ladder, so the market stagnates - and that is the real challenge that the government needs to address.