From June 1, if you're selling your property, you will be expected to provide a home information pack to any would-be buyers. But what are they and why have they attracted criticism? Lindsay Jennings reports

THE wider public may have heard of them, but few seem to be capable of describing their contents exactly. Hips, as they are known, sound like a new service being offered by the National Health Service, but they are, in fact, Home Information Packs.

They have been introduced by the Government with the aim of reducing any nasty surprises for sellers - such as people pulling out at the last minute as the sale of their home progresses. For buyers, they are intended to provide up-to-date information on properties they are considering buying, free of charge. From June 1, if you put your house on the market, you'll have to get yourself a Hip.

But the packs have generated so much controversy that, today, there will be a debate in the House of Commons, following a motion tabled by the Conservative Party calling for the Hips to be abandoned. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), is also seeking a judicial review for what it sees as the "failure" of ministers to carry out a proper consultation in relation to hip legislation.

We look at why the packs have become so controversial.

What do you have to include in the packs?

The packs have to contain certain compulsory documents, which include:

Home information pack index - listing the documents in the pack.

Evidence of title - proving that the seller owns the property.

Standard searches - carried out by a local authority or private company.

Sale statement - including whether the property is freehold or leasehold.

Energy performance certificate - which will say how energy efficient the home is on a scale of A-G with the most efficient homes in band A. It will also include the impact the home has on the environment. The gradings will be given by energy assessors.

Optional additions include:

Home condition reports and a legal summary.

Why have they caused such controversy?

Critics say there are too few qualified people who will be able to assess properties for their energy performance.

There have also been complaints that the packs will be of little use because they don't carry enough detail. The Government watered them down last year, deciding that Hips would not have to contain a home condition report - a type of building survey.

Michael Poole, vice-chairman of the North-East branch of the National Association of Estate Agents, says the organisation was against the home condition report because The Council of Mortgage Lenders said it wouldn't have accepted them. But without them, he says, the packs have "no value whatsoever".

"All I can see them doing is slowing down the market," says Michael. "There aren't even enough energy assessors to get the job done. There's no doubt about it, it's going to be a nightmare."

Phillipa Colley, managing director of Pure Mortgage Solutions, near Richmond, agrees.

"People haven't been given enough information about them, even people in the industry," she says. "People don't know where they're supposed to get them from. I attended a business meeting the other day and a solicitor was asked how much the packs will be. His answer was 'actually, we don't know yet.'

"It's also a really bad time of the year to release Hips. It would have been far more sensible to introduce them to the market in January when it's much quieter and people can get used to them and any changes can be made without too much of an impact.

"To me, the only people who will win out of it are the companies selling the Hips."

Will I have to wait for all the information to come back to complete my Hip before I am able to put my house on the market?

Technically no, not as long as you can prove you have 'set the wheels in motion' - ie applied for an energy certificate. But, according to Michael Poole, you will have to wait 14 days before putting the house on the market if your energy certificate hasn't come through, and 28 days before marketing if the searches haven't arrived.

"Another potential problem is that a mortgage company may not accept a search which is more than three months old," he says. "It could mean further searches are needed in the future if the house is on the market for longer than three months."

If my house is already up for sale will I still need a Hip?

No, not initially. But you will need one by December 31 if your house is still on the market.

How long will it take to get a pack together and how much will they cost?

It is unclear, but Michael Poole estimates about five days. The prices are said to be between £300 and £400. Some estate agents may offer them as part of their service, but there are also Hip companies which are springing up to cater for demand.

Does anyone think they're a good idea?

Environmental groups believe that, because of the energy rating, they are vital in the fight against climate change at a household level. They believe the average homeowner could save up to £300 a year on fuel bills, if they act on the energy efficiency measures recommended in the energy performance certificate.

Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Germana Canzi says: "Energy efficiency certificates will provide really useful information for house buyers and should provide a long-term incentive to taking action to save energy in the home."

Do we know what effect they will have on the market?

No, and this is what has been causing such consternation within the housing industry. Some believe house prices could end up rising as fewer people put their properties on the market. A survey by the National Association of Estate Agents in March revealed that 73 per cent of homeowners would think twice about marketing their home for sale if they need a Hip.

Philippa Colley adds: "If properties aren't going onto the market you will see a situation where demand outstrips supply so house prices will be pushed up significantly, which in turn will increase interest rates. It could mean even higher levels of debt."