Tenerife doesn't need property HIPS

Who said never a frown with Gordon Brown? The oh so serious Prime Minister has upset most of the UK with his new brainwave, Home Improvement Packs. Yet another nail in the UK home market, no wonder investment property is really taking off in Tenerife.

As if the good old British weather wasn’t enough to soak the UK into submission, the latest addition to property red tape has turned even more heads towards the year round sunny climate of Tenerife. As from August 1, anyone selling a house in England and Wales has had to get a HIP before finding a buyer willing to pay an arm and a leg for their property.

What’s it all for though? Well one of the supposed advantages is the energy performance certificate that is a key part of the pack. The government want to be seen to be green and this report will show details of fuel consumption, energy wastage, insulation and general power and heating efficiency. It might be hard to get your head around all this effort to hammer home the environmental message, just for the sake of popularity but then here in Tenerife, heating is not really something people have much need to worry about.

Apparently, if you believe the government blurb, it will save families hundreds of pounds per year on energy, shame that the packs will cost property sellers between £400 and £700 to get kitted up with the new packs. Who would be an estate agent in the UK with the threat of fines of £200 per day for any who try to do deals without the sacred HIPS. If that wasn’t bad enough, they can even be threatened with closure if they continue not to toe the line.

Look out Scotland and Ireland, you are next in line for a bit of HIPS swinging, if the government can sort out enough inspectors to produce the packs. The launch was delayed from June 1 as they just didn’t have enough bodies to make sure the energy performance certificates could be produced. They reckon they now have 2,000 inspectors suited and booted and ready to inspect all things green.

All sounds a bit like hard work but thankfully it isn’t something that will be working it’s way out here. In Tenerife the only HIPS people want to see are those moving to the rhythm at the local fiestas. Forget all the hassle and find out how the system works out here and at prices that put the UK to shame. AIP estate agents can point you in the right direction at www.aip-propertygroup.com and without the frown.

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Tenerife doesn't need property HIPS