August 1 2007, what a day of contrasts. In England and Wales people were getting to grips with Home Information Packs, Gordon Brown’s controversial new layer of home selling bureaucracy. Meanwhile out here in Tenerife The Atlantic International Property Group were launching there new website.
The AIP group of companies are long established but this site brings them together under one big new umbrella for easy access. And talking of umbrellas that takes us back to the UK where the ever cheerful Gordon Brown had barely got his feet under the number 10 desk, than he was upsetting the property market by wiggling his HIPS.

What is all the fuss about anyway? Basically Brown likes Green and thinks it’s a vote winner so has introduced the Home Information Packs that include an energy performance certificate to show how environmentally friendly your home is in terms of insulation, heating bills etc. One little snag, no one seems to like the idea, from home buyers and sellers to estate agents, lawyers and politicians from all sides.
Wouldn’t be so bad if it was free but with packs costing between £400 and £700 it’s going to pump up inflation. To further upset people, fines of £200 per day may be handed out for anyone selling a home without their HIPS in place and estate agents could even be forced out of business for continuing to ignore the packs.
Scotland is not included at the moment but Gordon is not showing any mercy even to his own clansmen, and it will come in north of the border soon. There have been some long delays because the government are struggling to appoint 2,000 inspectors to hand out the energy performance certificates.
Thankfully HIPS, like frosty mornings and dark afternoons are things that don’t affect us out here in the Tenerife. Good luck Gordon, you are going to need it.