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Firsthips Review - April 2009 - For Lawyers


Agents' Review Welcome to the April 2009 issue of the Firsthips Review which includes news, advice and articles from the HIP industry front-line. We welcome comments and suggestions for additional content.

 

Firsthips PIQ solution praised

Firsthips' unique Property Information Questionnaire solution has been welcomed and praised by both estate agents and sellers and despite initial fears, sellers have been extremely co-operative in completing and returning the PIQ promptly.

Firsthips provides three different ways that the seller can complete the PIQ. The fastest method is for the seller to complete the PIQ online and once this has been done it is automatically added to the HIP. As an alternative sellers can download the fillable PIQ in PDF format and save this to their computer. Sellers can then complete the form in their own time and as soon as it is ready - by clicking a send button on the form - it is automatically transmitted to Firsthips where it is added to the HIP. If the seller does not have access to a computer the form can be printed out in the agent's office, and once the seller has completed it the form can be faxed back to Firsthips on a dedicated number where it is automatically converted to a pdf file and uploaded to the HIP.

Now that first day marketing is finally here it makes sense to use Firsthips to handle all your HIP requirements as our unique technology ensures that no time is wasted in HIP preparation.

Firsthips First Day Marketing success

Despite the doom and gloom of first day marketing, with many estate agents concerned at the potential wasted marketing time before the HIP is available, Firsthips has managed record timescales with the average HIP being available between 48 - 72 hours from the point of order. The efficiency of the Firsthips system enables orders to be placed quickly and efficiently with Domestic Energy Assessors receiving instant instructions with all the relevant details enabling them to make the earliest possible appointments.

If you have a particularly urgent case Firsthips can generally arrange for the HIP to be published and available within 24-48 hours of ordering. Contact us now for details.

Chaos over search charging

For some time personal searches have been supplied lacking additional important information that many councils have refused access to. To cover this, the HIP regulations have allowed personal search companies to produce the search with indemnity insurance at a cost of £5 per search.

With effect from the 6th April new regulations make it mandatory for councils to provide access to this information. Unfortunately the government has allowed individual councils to charge what fees they consider appropriate instead of a set fee, so each council's additional search fee may vary from others. To make matters worse only a minority of councils have got around to publishing their fees although it is hoped that the majority will be available over the next few weeks.

Based on the additional fees already published the cost of the additional charge varies across the UK from nothing to as much as £139!

Firsthips has made available an online calculator for its clients to access and find out the additional fee for each local authority and this is gradually being updated as individual fees are published. However as so many councils have yet to publish their fees, it has become impossible to establish what to charge the client when the HIP is ordered across a large area of the UK. To cover this, Firsthips has come to a temporary arrangement with its search supplier to charge a blanket additional fee of £25 for each search ordered in the hope that this will average out for searches ordered until the charging position becomes clearer. The current arrangement continues until the end of April when it will be reviewed.

Firsthips will do its very best to ensure that this problem causes the least disruption to its clients and is committed to do whatever it can to resolve the problem at the earliest opportunity, lowest cost, and will keep its clients closely informed of developments.

Getting the most from HIPs
Automated Deferred Payment

Firsthips has introduced a new clearer, simplified and automated process of deferred payment

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Why They Choose Us!

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Floorplans and Photos

Don't forget that we can offer you RICS approved floorplans and professional photographs!

Any Feedback?

If you have any feedback regarding this newsletter, the firsthips system, HIPs in general or any stories you think are relevant and would like us to publish in the next newsletter, then please contact us.

Help and Advice?

We regularly update our FAQ section with useful and relevant information for our clients. Recent entries include some of the latest government clarifications regarding market concerns such as:

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