Misunderstood HIP research causes a flurry

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by Gill Montia

Ipsos MORI is keen to clarify any misunderstandings about research it conducted for the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP).

The results of a survey that took place last year prompted AHIPP to release a story to the press this month, which was quoted in the Independent on 5th April 2010 as: “An Ipsos MORI survey for the AHIPP found that HIPs had deterred only 15% of homeowners from selling.”

Similarly, AHIPP general director, Mike Ockenden, was quoted as saying: “85% of people had not been deterred from selling as a result of the implementation of HIPs.”

The research then came in for criticism from Shadow Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, who said it was “fundamentally flawed right at the outset” because it failed to take into account those deterred from selling their home because of HIPs.

Ipsos MORI is at pains to point out that study was based on consumers who had both already decided to sell their home and had commissioned a HIP from a member of AHIPP.

It was not, therefore, commissioned to capture the views of those who were only contemplating selling, in fact the report clearly states: “It is important to note that all those that took part in the research have commissioned a HIP”.

According to MORI, the results were never intended to be used to make authoritative statements on the impact of HIPs on levels of housing market transactions and consumer decisions about whether to sell.