HLPartnership has sounded a warning that in the hurry to complete property transactions by 31 March, buildings insurance may fall to the wayside.

The network believes that, as the end of the Stamp Duty holiday looms, a simple oversight in arranging buildings insurance could end up costing customers thousands of pounds if transactions are held up because the paperwork is not complete.

Shaun Almond (pictured), HLPartnership’s managing director, says it is too easy to overlook when the focus is on getting completions over the line.

He said: “Every adviser has a checklist in their head of what is required for completion to take place, which in normal circumstances would ensure that nothing is missed. The Stamp Duty holiday cut-off date at the end of March makes this a far from normal time and something so simple as having buildings insurance in place could get lost in the rush to get cases completed in time.

“Although it is very simple to put in place, leaving it until the last minute means that with conveyancers and lender completions departments at full stretch, sending confirmation of a policy being on risk could be missed with disastrous consequences. Tens of thousands of pounds of extra cost to customers is avoided just by ensuring that buildings insurance is in place in time.”