Lords reject house-seller packs plan

House hunters suffered a new blow today over a scheme to cut the cost of surveys.

The Government hoped to make the so-called seller's packs compulsory, to reduce the amount of money lost by buyers when deals collapse at the last minute. House hunters routinely lose thousands of pounds when transactions fall through.

But last night the Lords rejected the plan, claiming the packs would be too costly and delay sales.

The Government must now decide whether to stand its ground - risking delaying a crucial Housing Bill until the next parliamentary session - or abandon the scheme altogether.

Under the plans, sellers would not have been able to market their homes without offering the ?1,000 packs.