Back to the future? Conveyancers to discuss possibility of launch of ‘skinny’ HIPs

Conveyancers are to discuss the possibility of “skinny” Home Information Packs being introduced by the Government.

The then Chancellor George Osborne said in his Budget back in March that the Government would “shortly” be issuing a call for evidence about speeding up the home buying and selling process. Six months later, that call has not been made.

However, the Conveyancing Association has put HIPs on its agenda for its ‘Modernising Conveyancing’ Conference on December 1.

Delivering the keynote address will be Baroness Hayter, who recently tabled questions on behalf of the CA to the Government on how improvements could be made to the home buying process.

The conference will also deal with specific questions such as:

  • What exactly is wrong with the home buying process? An opportunity to analyse the problems and what can be done to improve them.
  • How can the various stakeholders in the process work better together to deliver a collaborative home moving experience? Who is best placed to provide upfront information – estate agent, conveyancer or client?
  • Leasehold is a nightmare – what can we do about it? How to cut down on the delays and the cost?
  • What can be done to reduce the number of abortive transactions and reduce the cost to clients of wasted fees?
  • Are we going ‘Back to the future’? Will we be considering ‘skinny HIPs’ and the provision of more upfront information in order to improve the process?

Eddie Goldsmith, chairman of the Conveyancing Association, said: “This is definitely a pivotal moment for the conveyancing industry and the home purchase process itself.”

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4 Comments

  1. Woodentop

    Please no …. HIPs was an absolute failure for so many reasons. Considering we live in an IT world and there are so many IT geeks coming out with all sorts of apps every day you would think that our system could be done by logging in and getting an instant result for many of the delaying issues, local searches, building control are a prime example. The surveyor should have an app that downloads as he/she does the survey etc (oops don’t they already!). Half the problem is the conveyancing still stuck in the mud with old fashioned …. I must write a letter and await a letter so that I have it on file and HM Land registry is another one …. they don’t trust the information!

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  2. Nick Salmon Managing Director of EYE

    It will come as no surprise to many that I shall be most interested in the outcome…

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  3. revilo

    Me too Nick – I might even come out of retirement!

     

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  4. Tim Higham

    These are not the issues with conveyancing. Address WHO should be permitted to offer conveyancing is. We recruit and adopt the very best conveyancers/conveyancing, and our deals zip through……save we so frequently wait for conveyancers who are not up to standard. They don’t have solutions, they are slow through poor legal knowledge and training, they under charge and so are overworked….the list goes on.

     

    HIPs were a great idea, but many corporate agents ruined them with shoddy content by their volume conveyancing factories they ‘control’ – not being interested in ensuring the public received a great product.

    A  group representing excellent conveyancers to be consulted should be The Bold Group. Serious quality lawyers.

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