Home information packs

The government's plans to make homeowners provide an information pack before selling their property has been dismissed as "Labour's poll tax" by a Tory peer.

The scheme ran into Conservative opposition in a vote on the Housing Bill on Tuesday.

The sellers' packs, expected to cost at least £600 to produce, would need to be commissioned before a property is put on the market, and would include a survey, search details and other information for buyers.

Ministers say the packs will help curb gazumping and speed up sales. Fewer homeowners would be expected to put their house up for sale to test the market, as the packs could take between four and six weeks to prepare.

Stakeholder Response: Which?

A spokesman for Which? said: "Which? will be very disappointed if home information packs fall from the Bill as 95 per cent of people we interviewed stated they thought that HIPs were a good idea. Which? does not understand the opposition to this initiative.