Property chains get a helping hand

This will form one of the key elements of the Land Registry’s e-conveyancing system and the trial will happen between Autumn 2006 and Spring 2007.

The prototype chain service will allow conveyancers, their clients and selected estate agents to view the progress of property transactions in chains on a dedicated website. This means that they will be able to see if there are any delays in particular transactions, what is causing them, and when exchange and completion have taken place.

Bristol, Portsmouth and Fareham have been chosen for the six month trial. Conveyancers in those areas, dealing with the sale and purchase of properties, will be able to update details of the progress of the transactions on the website and, using the notepad facility, leave messages for other participants in the chain.

Buyers, sellers and estate agents having an interest in those transactions will be able to view the chains relevant to their sale or purchase. There will also be a messaging service to alert participants at significant points in the process.

Liz Hirst, director of the E-conveyancing programme, said: “Everyone who has ever bought a house knows how fraught the process can be. We believe that about a quarter of residential chains fall apart at the moment, and our online chain matrix service aims to reduce this misery. The prototype will test how easy the chain matrix is to use, and help us to assess what impact it will have for our customers. Volunteers participating in Bristol, Portsmouth and Fareham will be representative of future users, and we will listen very carefully to their feedback as we develop our services for the future.”