From today anyone selling a three-bedroom home in England and Wales is required by law to obtain a Home Information Pack (Hip).

Hips - already compulsory for four-bedroom houses - include energy performance certificates which give properties an environmental grade, with particular emphasis being placed on energy-saving measures such as double glazing insulation.

The grades are intended to help prospective buyers make informed decisions when selecting a property, though some groups have expressed reservations over their effectiveness.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has been particularly critical of Hips, suggesting the costs associated with them could actually be responsible for the recent dip in new properties coming on the market in August.

That claim was dismissed out of hand by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which insisted that interest rates and house prices were by far the dominant forces in such fluctuations.

DCLG communities minister Iain Wright highlighted the dual environmental and financial benefits of Hips: "Families buying four-bedroom homes are (already) getting clear information which shows how they can save hundreds of pounds on their fuel bills and cut carbon emissions too."

"It is important that this should be available for people buying three-bedroom homes as well."

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Author:  Joanne McCabe

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