Home Information Packs (HIPS) have come under fire this week and the government has been urged to postpone introducing them on 1 June.

Estate agents and surveyors says the packs, which will cost homeowners up to £1,000 to compile, could ruin the property market. The system has been described as “botched” by industry figures.

Trevor Kent, a former president of the National Association of Estate Agents, said: “To continue this folly will lead to property market meltdown.”

Problems surrounding the packs include alleged confusion over the cost and a lack of inspectors to carry out the appropriate checks on houses before documents needed to complete the pack are granted.

It is understood that fewer than half of the 7,000 inspectors needed will be available in time for the start date, sparking fears that there will be delays in compiling the packs.

But Stephen Callaghan, director of Energy Assessors, a company charged with training up HIP inspectors, said: “There will be a sufficient number of qualified energy assessors by June.”

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