Solicitors celebrated the end of the home information pack ‘disaster’ last week.

The coalition government scrapped HIPs after election manifesto commitments from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to ditch the packs. Sellers will still need an energy performance certificate.

The Law Society’s property spokesman Paul Marsh said: ‘HIPs have been a disaster. They introduced cost with no benefit, and prevented reforms to the process that really ought to be implemented, such as e-conveyancing and good quality e-searches. The market has been skewed by HIPs providers.’

Law Society president Robert Heslett said HIPs were not in consumers’ interests. The Society is developing its protocols to improve efficiency, value and transparency in the home buying and selling process.

However, Richard Barnett, senior partner of bulk conveyancing firm Barnetts, said it was ‘sad’ that there was no consultation ‘to find out if there was anything good about HIPs’.