Are cheap hip packs any good - can i save money?

Reply:

HIP pack prices can vary by as much as £300, so you can save money by shopping around. There tends to be more variation in price for HIPS for leasehold properties, and these can be the most expensive HIP packs.

You can buy through your agent, go to a HIP provider directly or compile your own.

Generally speaking the price your estate agent is going to charge will be greater than if you went to the HIP provider direct.

Charges vary by type of property and location.

You can also do-your-own HIP if you feel you have the time, but with many HIPS now in the £180-£280 bracket, you may feel the additional saving is not worth it. If you go down the DIY route you will still have to pay for parts of the HIP including the Energy Performance Certificate. The time it takes for the searches to come back can vary wildy by time of year and location too.

All that said, we think there is some evidence that estate agents are becoming more competitive for HIPs - last time we sold the saving between the estate agents price and going direct was about £40.

The lesson here is to shop around then make an informed decision based on your circumstances.