I share shadow housing minister Grant Shapps’s desire to abolish the home information pack. However, we must encourage the seller to instruct solicitors early in the selling process, which is still not happening despite the good intentions behind the HIP. Ideally the solicitor needs to get on with the ‘completion-ready’ pack before a buyer is found.

We need to educate the public to understand the process and to instruct lawyers when the house goes on the market. We know of course that sellers are reluctant to incur costs before a buyer is found, so it will be an uphill struggle to change attitudes.

HIPs were certainly hijacked by interested parties. These people were not lawyers and, as we now know, HIPs were introduced with little regard for the views of the legal profession. Sadly the product fails to serve anyone in the conveyancing process other than those who hijacked it. Only the energy certificate should be required at the marketing stage, although even that is of little value.

The public and the agents need to be educated to involve solicitors at an early stage in the selling process. Sadly no legislation, however well intended, can address that.

Jonathan Williams, partner, Roythorne Christmas, Peterborough