Conveying property in this country ‘doesn’t need to be a labyrinth’ says Law Society President Joe Egan, when commenting on the Ministry for Housing’s ideas as to improving the buying and selling process.
In his office as Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid said that he wanted to make it ‘cheaper, faster and less stressful’, and few would disagree with this comment when moving house has notably been ranked up there with divorce as one of life’s biggest stresses.
So how could this be achieved?
One of the proposals put forward has been e-conveyancing. A concept that would see technology picking up the pace of the transaction, with assistance from other facilities such as digital signatures, and easing the process for verifying ID. On the face of it, the benefit looks clear, with many of our clients living a distance from our offices and perhaps abroad, and with the hassle that producing up to date ID can cause, especially for repeat clients.
Another has been an emphasis for the seller to provide more information upfront. Haven’t we seen this before? We await to see how much information the Ministry for Housing would be expecting sellers to provide, in the wake of the failed HIPs initiative.
Given the doctrine of Caveat Emptor (‘Buyer Beware’), there continues to be, and quite rightly in our view, a reluctance for conveyancers to act for both buyers and sellers. Whilst conveyancing is essentially non-contentious, both parties need to have confidence that their interests are properly represented.
So, it is very much a work in progress but one that we are keen to embrace at Onions & Davies Solicitors, recognising the need to move with the times to meet the best interests of our clients, whilst continuing to protect their interests.
For help with buying or selling a property, call 01630 652405 and speak to Lisa in our Property Team.