The government has said it will extend its Home Information Pack scheme (Hips) to cover three-bedroom homes in England and Wales from 10 September 2007.

Hips are intended to speed up house sales, but critics say it makes the process expensive and bureaucratic.

They were introduced on 1 August for four-bedroom homes and contain title deeds, local searches and an energy performance certificate (EPCs).

Hips packs cost the seller about £400 (* SEE PAUL WRIGHT & CO for special offers!) and take roughly five days to compile.

Following the expansion of the scheme, 60% of the property market in England and Wales will be covered by Hips, the Department of Communities and Local Government said.