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Just to give a sense of perspective the value of land and property in the UK is £10 trillion of which about £250 billion's worth changes hands every year :"the market".
I've been a solicitor in commercial and residential property since 1983 and it seems to me that any improvements to the system can only be made it they are endorsed and used by the people at the front line rather than imposed by HM Government or Land Registry etc.

It's easy to have a pop at those who are doing their best to make things work as Mr Prior has done but at the same time as the ill fated "Veyo" concept shows its very difficult to impose a root and branch reform as the market is so complex and valuable.

It seems to me that there is a PR and marketing element here - certainly a digital HIP is a good idea - which is not being maximised by those who do conveyancing. Like many solicitors that I know I have always prepared a written report on title for clients to keep : infact if you bind it nicely they don't lose them but you do have to charge an appropriate fee for this "bespoke" service.

I'd be happy to let Robert Hailstone have my input as to how to make digital HIP's more likely to be used by practitioners and the public alike : the key is to emphasise that ultimately clients can rely on our PI cover which is the guarantee that they will be compensated if the property turns out not to have a "good and marketable" title.

Mr Prior's reference to a property with a stream in the front garden that may well flood is a day to day reality for those who advise house and flat purchasers who wish to buy properties overlooking the Thames. A flood search can be obtained and emailed to the clients so that they can make an informed decision as to the flood risk . The tricky bit is the extent to which you need to advise any lender and the delays that naturally follow from that. If you factor in the risk of environmental problems ; Japanese knotweed; Hs2; liklihood of non compliance with building regns ; planning non compliance; identity fraud; adverse survey etc etc etc it is possible to explain to clients why the process takes an average of 19 weeks and manage their expectations accordingly. For most people buying property is the biggest decision of their lives and they want to be able to sell it and hopefully realise any capital gain.

"Best practice" has a monetary and time cost but it is worth it in the end - property solicitors need to make the public more aware of what a good job they actually do in my view.

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