Signposts of stress

Government To Study Stress Of Housebuying

The Housing Minister, Hilary Armstrong, will meet estate agents, solicitors, surveyors and other parties to encourage them to take part in the survey. The aim is to track 1,000 house purchases to give empirical evidence on which to base recommendations on how to improve the process.

The survey will look at all areas of housebuying, with particular concentration on thorny issues such as gazumping, solicitors' fees, surveyors' reports and securing a mortgage.

It will also review procedures for housebuying in other countries to see how the process in the UK can be improved.

The survey is the first major study of its kind. It will be overseen by a ministerial group including Hilary Armstrong, the Consumer Minister Nigel Griffiths, and Geoffrey Hoon from the Lord Chancellor's Department.

Representatives from the Office of Fair Trading, the Consumer's Association and the Council of Mortgage Lenders are also being invited to participate. The results of the survey are expected in April 1998.