HIPs deliver improvements in property search timescales

HIPs deliver improvements in property search timescales

The Government has introduced new steps to ensure that local authorities and private search companies better work together.

Local authorities will be obliged to speed up access to their records within one working day and, in return, they will be able to request a fair charge for the improvement in access.

Historically, local authorities and personal search providers have been in competition with each other. This has led to variations in the time it can take for a personal search to be completed.

Local property searches are a compulsory component of the Home Information Packs (HIPs) but the turnaround of HIPs have been affected by the availability to data offered by local councils.

Additionally, local councils are increasingly reducing their prices for their own searches as a direct response to the competition from private providers as a result of HIPs.

The steps announced by the Government come in response to an OFT recommendation to improve competition between the public and private sector in the delivery of property searches to consumers.

Junior Housing Minister Iain Wright said:
"Homebuying and selling can be a stressful experience and we are committed to improving the system for people.
"By levelling the playing field for providers consumers will be able to get important property information earlier in the home buying process and see the costs coming down as a result."

Home Information Packs (HIPs) are already beginning to bring benefits to consumers with average property search costs starting to fall because of the new competition created by HIPs - 85 local authorities have already reduced their charges by £30 on average. Today's announcement will go further to ensure consumers get a better deal.