A digital filing platform created by television presenter and property entrepreneur Emily Evans is seeking to reduce delays in the homebuying process by helping consumers organise essential property documents.
The Home App provides a central location for paperwork covering mortgages, insurance, household accounts and property maintenance, including boiler service certificates and other records that may be required during conveyancing.
Its developer claims having this information organised from the beginning could remove between two and eight weeks from some transactions. However, the potential saving will depend on the circumstances of an individual sale and has not been independently verified.
The launch comes as the government attempts to overhaul a homebuying system in which transactions take approximately 120 days after an offer is accepted. Around one in three transactions fail, costing buyers and sellers an estimated £400m annually in wasted expenditure, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
MISSING INFORMATION
Late, missing or inconsistent property information is among the problems identified by ministers, alongside limited digitalisation and disconnected systems. Government-backed industry trials suggest providing important information earlier could make transactions around four weeks faster.
The government’s reform roadmap includes upfront property sales packs, digital property logbooks and measures to make trusted information easier for professionals to share.
“The delays and extra work can cost thousands.”
Emily Evans (main picture, inset), Founder of Home App, says: “I’ve spent a long time working in the property sector, alongside my career in the entertainment industry, and one of the most frustrating aspects has been the property management side, which is in large part managing and updating important documents and deeds.
“The delays and extra work this causes can cost businesses thousands in extra work and lost sales.
“I created Home to provide a simple, easy-to-use digital filing system that will revolutionise the homebuying process, while there are also other elements that will make those tedious day-to-day tasks so much simpler. From ID storage to interior design hacks, the Home App will become a crucial part of how people manage their lives.”
Additional features include property advice, a question-and-answer facility, a trusted-traders section and folders for storing interior-design ideas.
A professional dashboard also allows property managers to organise information relating to multiple clients and properties.
The Home App is available as a free download for Apple and Android devices.
