Home Information Packs (HIPS) may have been suspended in England and Wales, but it is status quo as far as the Scottish version of this legislation is concerned.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been asked by a number of clients if they still need to get a Home Report which is the Scottish equivalent of HIPS.  They answer, sadly, is yes.

When Gregor Sim, one of our property partners, wrote about Home Reports in our newsletter early in 2009, the legal profession had still to form a strong view on the issue.  Some 18 months on from the introduction of Home Reports, however, lawyers and surveyors, together with the general public, are stoically accepting that they are a feature of selling a house. Indeed, there are a number of advantages, although the main downside is cost and in the current economic climate, that can be problematic.

The fact that a Home Report gives so much detailed information and is so easily accessible is a real advantage, but that cannot detract from the fact that the Scots feel aggrieved that they still have to meet a fairly hefty cost whilst south of the border this is no longer an issue.

Time will tell whether the abolition of HIPS will ease the problems in the property market down south. Meantime, in Scotland, it is business as usual and that means a Home Report is required if you are selling.

Finally a point to note is be careful about the timing of instructing the compilation of a Home Report as they have a shelf life of 12 weeks and may have to be refreshed after that time.

If you do not put your property on the market within the 12-week period you have to start all over again with the attendant cost involved.