Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for local government & communities, Caroline Spelman, got onto the home information pack bandwagon yesterday, siding with the major player for the anti-Hip side of the fence, the National Association of Estate Agents.

But industry voices including estate agents disagree, saying the Conservative attack on home information packs is unsubstantiated.

The research published by NAEA, also yesterday, coincided with a breakfast time television appearance by Channel 4’s heartthrob property presenter, Kirsty Allsopp who is also supporting the anti-Hip line.

According to Caroline Spelman, Hips will do nothing to stop gazumping or speed up the process of buying a house: however the depths of her knowledge about the matter can probably be gauged by her usage of the years-old term - sellers’ packs. NAEA’s research did find 73% of those surveyed are concerned about the introduction of Home Information Packs, with 39% saying they should not cost anything at all.

Kirsty Allsopp rested her argument on possible extra costs to first-time buyers because lenders would want their own valuation survey and not rely on the survey in the Hip. This news came a few weeks ago from the Council of Mortgage Lenders but media at the time incorrectly reported it as a flat refusal of lenders to accept the survey for valuation purposes. In fact the main thrust of CML’s announcement was to persuade the government to look into the many issues that might occur and how it would affect the mortgage market. Indeed, the report conceded that lenders would be likely to accept the hip survey once issues were resolved.

Claim is 'unsubstantiated' say industry voices 

Paul Smith, chief executive of haart estate agents counters the anti-Hip arguments and said first time buyers will reap the benefits of home information packs.

"The Conservatives’ attack on home information packs claiming that they will be a roadblock to ownership is unsubstantiated," he said. "Potential buyers that are struggling to get on the property ladder will in fact really stand to benefit from the introduction of home information packs, due to the considerable cost savings they will make in up-front costs, as well as potentially saving thousands of pounds from the reduction of failed transactions as the condition of the property is exposed from the very outset."

Mr Smith continued: "The home information pack, which will contain local authority searches, environmental searches and a home condition report all of which will be purchased by the seller, will be producing key information on properties, which otherwise buyers would have had to struggle to pay for themselves, and could save first time buyers up to £1000."

"With the availability of 100% mortgages, home information packs provide a very real incentive for buyers to return to the market."

"However, most importantly buyers will be better informed prior to putting in an offer as Hips will highlight any potential problems with the property up-front. The level of transparency will help reduce the number of failed transactions which could save buyers and sellers thousands of pounds, which will particularly help first time buyers, who are already struggling to raise the capital required."

Haart, who is part of a group of independent estate agents operating across the country, estimate that the level of first-time buyer sales transactions will to soar by 15%, in the wake of the introduction of Hips, as years of pent up demand from first time buyers, to the tune of one million potential buyers is released.

Mike Ockenden, director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers also disagrees with Caroline Spelman.

Mr Ockenden said: "The Conservatives are correct in highlighting the ever-worsening plight of struggling first-time buyers as an issue in serious need of addressing by the government. However they are then wrong to call for the delay of home information packs – a measure which will actually go some way to helping first time buyers, the very group the Conservatives express such concern for."

"The introduction of Hips will actually help more of these buyers take their first step onto the property ladder by making the process of buying a home more affordable. As Hips shift the cost of providing searches and surveys from buyers to sellers, first-time buyers are spared some of the ‘hidden’ additional costs of buying a home."