Estate agencies charging 50% more for HIPs

Home information packs (HIPs) purchased from estate agents can cost 50% more than those bought directly from specialist HIP providers such as law firms and conveyancing practices, new research indicates.

On average, HIPs from estate agents cost about £110 more than HIPs from specialist providers, according to a survey by consumer organisation Which? Money.

For a three-bedroom, freehold semi-detached property, the cheapest specialist HIP provider, Fridays Property Lawyers, charged £189 – £224 less than the £413 charged by most expensive estate agent, Halifax.

For a two-bedroom leasehold flat, specialist HIP provider Hip Save charged £224 – £292 less than the £516 charged by the most expensive estate agent, Spicerhaart.

Direct providers tended to offer the cheapest HIPs, but prices between them varied by as much as £191.

Which? Money surveyed some of the largest estate agencies and a selection of specialist HIP providers on what they charge for a standard HIP for a three-bedroom freehold semi and a two-bedroom leasehold flat in Balham, London. Which? Money said that the vast majority of HIP providers and estate agents have fixed fees for properties, which are not dependent on size, value or location.