Local solicitors win award

9:17am Wednesday 24th October 2007

Solicitors Awdry Bailey and Douglas, of Marlborough, have been shortlisted for the Law Society's Innovation In Business award for their Home Information Pack.

Amid controversy the packs were introduced by the Government on August 1 for homes with four or more bedrooms and now also apply to three-bedroomed properties.

There is no news yet as to when they will be rolled out to cover all homes.

The HIPs team at ABD includes three qualified energy assessors whose role is to visit properties and give an energy efficiency rating which is then included in the pack, together with searches and other compulsory legal documents.

The HIPs team manager, David Turley, is also a qualified assessor.

Supporters of the packs say that by providing more information in advance of an agreed sale, buyers will make better informed decisions and transactions should go through faster - music to the ears of anyone who has been in the stressful situation of a seemingly never-ending conveyancing chain.

The alternative view is that HIPs simply add an extra cost to moving and many estate agents fear that the 20 per cent or so of people who apparently instruct an agent just to test the market may be deterred and as a result there will be less properties available for sale.

"We can see both sides of the argument," said Alistair Everett, partner at ABD.

"But the Government has been determined to force this through, so our view has been to look at ways of minimising the adverse aspects of HIPs by offering a fast, streamlined system with easy ordering, deferred credit and online viewing as well as paper copies."