Starter packs compulsory for home sellers

A date has now been confirmed by the government for the launch of home starter packs. The packs will include a survey, land registry details and answers from both the sellers and local authority to standard questions. From 1 June 2007 the packs will be compulsory for anyone selling their home. The government says the packs will cost about £600 plus VAT and will make home buying quicker and cheaper. The idea of introducing such packs has been discussed in the industry since the early 1990s. The conveyancing system in England and Wales is widely regarded as unnecessarily slow and expensive. In particular, would-be buyers can spend hundreds of pounds on surveys and other enquiries only to find their money has been wasted because the proposed property sale has fallen through. The aim of the packs is to eradicate this problem.