The decision not to include home condition reports in home information packs (Hips) has been a "huge" missed opportunity, it has been suggested.

In December, the controversial scheme was rolled out to cover all homes being put on the market, with the government arguing that the packs would prove useful to first-time buyers by cutting the amount of money they would have to spend upfront when purchasing a house.

However, Paul Holmes, the chief executive officer of advice website Firstrung, argues that the packs would have been more useful had they been introduced in their original form, which included a home condition report detailing the physical condition of the property.

"A first time buyer starting from scratch generally relies on third party advice and anecdotal assistance from family members but the document, in its original format, as it was supposed to be would have negated all that."

"It would have given the first time buyer a degree of confidence they will now never have with the current Hips."

Currently, sellers can opt to provide a home condition report in a Hip on a voluntary basis.