New housing red tape will hit Burton’s First Time buyers

Home owners forced to pay £600 to put up a ‘for sale’ sign from 1 June

Home owners in Burton and Uttoxeter looking to sell their house or flat will have to pay £600 under new Government regulations from 1 June.

Andrew Griffiths, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Burton and Uttoxeter warned today that this would make it even more difficult for young people in East Staffordshire to buy their first home.

Mr Griffiths said,

"It is already difficult enough for young people to get on to the housing ladder, but pushing up costs like this will make getting on the housing ladder even more difficult. Extra costs for sellers will undoubtedly be passed on to the first time buyers, where money is so tight."

New red tape could undermine the stability of the housing market, would increase the costs of moving and would discourage potential sellers from advertising their home.

From 1 June 2007, anyone wanting to sell their home in England and Wales will be forced to pay for an inspector to come into their home and produce a Home Information Pack. If they put up a ‘for sale’ sign or advertise their home without a Pack, they face repeated £200 fines levied by town halls. Estate agents are already encouraging home owners to put their home on the market before 1 June, to avoid the need to pay for a Pack. Conservatives are leading the opposition to the new rules in Parliament.

Andrew explained,

"Moving home is one of the most stressful things anyone can do. Yet Labour’s new red tape threatens to make it worse, not better. Rather than protecting consumers in East Staffs these new regulations will increase the cost of moving and threatens to undermine the stability of the housing market."