Home sellers will have to pay for Home Information Packs before placing their properties on the market under Government plans announced today.

The compulsory move, unveiled by Housing Minister Keith Hill, is aimed at speeding up the house buying and selling process.

But the change was immediately attacked by critics who claimed it would lead to extra costs of about £1,000 and delays for vendors before properties were marketed.

The decision to go ahead with the controversial packs comes after legislation to introduce Sellers' Packs was put into the Homes Bill in December 2000.

That Bill was killed off under parliamentary procedure when the general election was called in 2001.

Now the controversial shake-up will be reintroduced as part five of the draft Housing Bill.

But Trevor Kent, former president of the National Association of Estate Agents, said the change "is a disgraceful state of affairs".

He said: "They (the Government) have flown in the face of advice of everybody involved in the day-to-day business of buying and selling houses and have ignored advice from their own MPs on the Housing Select Committee who received evidence of the folly of their intentions.

"They reported this to the Government with a warning that they should not proceed.

"It means they will be telling every house seller - and there are two million each year - they will have to spend £1,000 and wait on average three weeks before they are given permission by Big Brother to put their house on the market."

The Government said research across a range of housing markets confirmed the present buying and selling process in England and Wales was among the slowest in Europe, fraught with delays and failed transactions, encouraged problems and did not look after the interests of buyers and sellers.

Under the present system key information only becomes available after terms have been negotiated and agreed.

Home Information Packs would address this by ensuring these details were available up front.

The Government said the packs, which will have to be compulsory to ensure everyone benefits, work well in Denmark and New South Wales in Australia.

Tuesday November 11, 2003