Home Buying and Selling Reforms Explained

Transcript

Hi, I’m Ruban Selvanayagam, co-director at Property Solvers.

Anyone who’s bought or sold a home in the UK knows the drill – long waits, constant chasing, and no guarantee the deal will hold together.

The truth is, our home-moving system still runs on outdated processes that turn simple transactions into endurance tests.

Now, the Government wants to change that. In what it calls “The biggest shake-up in decades…” it’s proposing a set of reforms aimed at cutting delays, increasing transparency, and restoring trust in how we buy and sell property.

In this video, I’ll break down what’s being proposed, how it might actually work in practice, where the industry stands, and why some believe it could all still go wrong.

Let’s get into it…

Buying and selling properties in England and Wales still feels like stepping back in time. Despite all our technology – portals, e-signatures, digital conveyancing – the transaction itself remains stubbornly inefficient.

The Average Sale Still Takes 6 to 9 Months, and Roughly 1 in 3 Deals Collapse Before Completion.  Buyers lose money on surveys and mortgage fees, sellers waste weeks waiting for searches or replies, and conveyancers juggle outdated systems.

All told, these failures cost the public an estimated £400 Million a Year – and that’s just in direct expenses, not lost time, opportunity or stress.

That’s what the reforms are trying to fix.

The first focus is Transparency and Digitisation Under the proposals, sellers and agents would need to provide detailed “material information” before a property even goes on the market – things like tenure, ground rent, service charges, boundaries, flood risk and any known structural issues.

The idea is to get everything out in the open early, giving buyers a clearer picture from the start and reducing the number of deals that collapse once surveys and legal checks begin.

To make that possible, the Government also wants to introduce Digital Property Logbooks – secure, centralised records that store each home’s key data: EPC ratings, planning history, guarantees and previous transaction details. These logbooks would follow the property from one owner to the next, updating in real time rather than forcing every new buyer or conveyancer to rebuild the same paper trail. In theory, that would turn the UK’s fragmented housing data into a single, live system – making it faster to verify details and easier to spot issues before they derail a sale.

Another proposal is to Bring Contracts Forward in the Process, giving buyers and sellers the option to enter legally binding agreements earlier on.

It wouldn’t be mandatory, but for those serious about moving, it could provide far greater certainty – reducing the risk of gazumping, where a seller accepts a higher offer from another buyer at the last minute, and gazundering, when a buyer suddenly lowers their offer just before exchange.

Both tactics can derail chains and cause months of progress to collapse overnight. By making contracts binding earlier, the reforms aim to bring more stability and fairness to what’s often the most fragile stage of the process.

Alongside that comes a plan to Raise Professional Standards. The Government wants a Mandatory Code of Practice for estate and letting agents, backed by recognised qualifications and stronger enforcement.

The goal is to make sure anyone handling a property sale or purchase is properly trained, accountable, and offering consistent, transparent advice – something that’s still hit-and-miss in parts of the sector.

Finally, ministers claim these combined reforms could shorten the overall process by around four weeks and save buyers and movers several hundred pounds. Sellers, meanwhile, would face roughly £310 in additional up-front costs to prepare fuller documentation. In short, a little more effort at the beginning to avoid far greater frustration later.

If it works as intended, the benefits are clear:

• Fewer Failed Transactions – with information disclosed earlier, buyers make more informed offers, and there’s less chance of surprises that trigger fall-throughs.
• Faster Conveyancing – digital records mean less time chasing missing documents.
• Fairer Pricing – greater transparency encourages realistic valuations and more honest marketing.
• Higher Professional Standards – regulation could improve trust in the industry overall.

So, in theory, the fundamentals stay the same – but the friction drops.

Now, reform on this scale has been promised before. Back in 2007, the Government launched Home Information Packs (HIPs) – which also aimed to reduce fall-throughs through upfront information.

But they were scrapped within three years and the the reasons: cost, bureaucracy, and lack of adoption.

Sellers resented paying for surveys they thought buyers should commission, agents saw red tape and uyers didn’t trust the documents because there was no consistent quality control.

So the new proposals face the same question: can they succeed where HIPs failed?

Proponents of the reforms say this time really could be different – mainly because technology has finally caught up with the ambition.

Digital titles, e-signatures, and online ID verification are now part of everyday conveyancing. Data sharing between lenders, agents, and solicitors has improved dramatically, and the infrastructure for joined-up transactions is beginning to take shape.

In theory, the plumbing is ready: the systems exist, the tools are in place, and the industry understands what needs to change. But as always, execution will decide the outcome.

The industry response has been cautious but broadly positive.

Propertymark, the main professional body for agents, calls the reforms “long overdue” and supports the push for upfront information, better standards, and full digitalisation. It also warns, though, that implementation must be carefully phased and backed by clear guidance so smaller firms aren’t overwhelmed.

Conveyancers, meanwhile, are urging realism. They agree with the goals but point out that many local authorities still rely on outdated search systems – the single biggest cause of delays – and that data quality varies widely between regions. Without investment and consistency, they say, the reforms risk replacing one bottleneck with another.

The Law Society echoes those concerns, stressing that success depends on common data standards and practical timelines. Mortgage lenders and consumer groups also support the direction but want stronger safeguards and clearer public information about what early contracts actually commit people to.

There are those within the industry who remain openly sceptical, arguing that while the proposals sound promising on paper, they fail to tackle the underlying complexity of the home-moving chain itself.

They point out that you can digitise data, but you can’t digitise human behaviour. Buyers will still hesitate, surveys will still uncover unexpected problems, and mortgages will still take time to finalise. Cutting four weeks from a process that depends on multiple interlocking sales, conveyancers, lenders and local authorities, they argue, feels optimistic at best.

Some also worry that forcing sellers to produce more information up front could discourage listings at a time when supply is already tight – echoing the problems seen during the old Home Information Pack era.

And to be fair, they may have a point. If the rollout is clumsy or inconsistent, the benefits could vanish quickly, turning a well-intentioned digital overhaul into yet another layer of bureaucracy.

Nonetheless, other countries have made similar transitions successfully.

In Norway and the Netherlands, upfront disclosure is standard, and most transactions complete within 8–10 weeks. In Germany, notaries handle everything under a unified digital framework. And in the United States, binding contracts are routine – but they’re backed by title insurance and escrow systems our market doesn’t use.

So efficiency is possible – but it requires alignment across law, data, and culture.

But back home, the challenge isn’t drafting legislation – it’s making it work in the real world. Turning ideas into practice means aligning hundreds of moving parts that currently operate in silos.

There are more than 300 local authorities in England and Wales, each using its own system for searches and planning data. Unless those systems can connect seamlessly, digital logbooks risk becoming fragmented or inconsistent – the very problem they’re meant to solve.

Beyond the tech, there’s the human factor. Agents, conveyancers and surveyors will all need to upgrade their software and workflows, and for smaller independents that transition could be costly and confusing. The public, too, will need clear guidance on what “binding earlier” actually means – particularly for first-time buyers who depend on mortgage approvals that can take weeks.

And finally, professional standards only work if they’re backed by real oversight. That means proper funding for regulators, clear accountability, and a practical route for redress when things go wrong. Without those building blocks, even the best-intentioned reforms risk ending up as headlines without impact.

The reforms will also play out differently across the country.

In London and the South East, where chains are long and property values high, upfront packs could bring much-needed confidence and reduce fall-throughs – though sellers might resist paying more upfront.

In the Midlands and North, where transactions are cheaper and faster already, the impact might be limited – but digital logbooks could improve transparency and attract more out-of-area buyers.

Rural and coastal markets face their own quirks: slower legal processes, older housing stock, and limited broadband make digital transition harder.

So, expect a patchwork rollout before national uniformity.

These changes sit within a much broader housing agenda. The same department leading this consultation – Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – is simultaneously reviewing planning rules, leasehold reform, and digital ID verification for property transactions.

Together, these strands point toward a more integrated, data-driven property market where buying, selling and ownership are linked through a single digital framework.

But even with those ambitions, the wider pressures remain. Mortgage affordability is still tight, and national sales volumes are down by around 15% year-on-year. So while efficiency reform is a step forward, it won’t solve the underlying issues of affordability or supply. In truth, this is about making the process less painful, not necessarily making housing more affordable.

Even before any new laws come into effect, there’s plenty that homeowners and agents can do right now to make the process smoother.

For sellers, it starts with preparation. Gather every key document early – your EPC, title deeds, warranties, lease details, and any planning permissions. Be upfront about known issues rather than waiting for them to surface later; transparency builds trust and reduces the chance of last-minute renegotiations. And when you choose a conveyancer, pick one who begins the legal groundwork before you accept an offer, not after – it can save weeks down the line.

Buyers can get ahead too. Ask for all available material information up front, so you know exactly what you’re committing to. Have your mortgage agreement in principle ready and make sure funds are arranged early. And if binding contracts become an option, take the time to understand the terms before you sign – certainty is good, but only if both sides are genuinely ready.

For agents and conveyancers, the message is clear: digital readiness is no longer optional. Investing in secure ID verification, e-signatures and online document sharing will soon be standard practice. Those who adapt early will have a clear competitive advantage as the market evolves.

At Property Solvers, we already follow many of these principles across our auction and express sale services – clear legals from the start, guaranteed timelines, and transparent communication throughout. It’s a model that cuts friction and gives both buyers and sellers more confidence, which is ultimately what these reforms are aiming for.

The consultation runs until 29 December 2025, with the Government expected to publish its full response in early 2026. Implementation will probably come in phases – voluntary adoption first, pilot schemes through 2026, and a mandatory rollout from 2027. In other words, any legal changes are still at least 18 months away.

Even so, forward-thinking firms are already experimenting with digital information packs and early adoption. Some of the benefits could start appearing well before the rules become law.

The key will be collaboration – between government, lenders, agents, conveyancers, and proptech companies – because if any one link in that chain lags behind, the whole system still breaks.

The direction of travel feels right. Few would argue against greater transparency, higher standards, and shorter timelines. But ambition isn’t the same as delivery. If this ends up as another headline policy with patchy execution, it could easily backfire.

Handled properly, though, it could modernise the property market in a way that’s long overdue. Think of it like plumbing: the pipes are there, the pressure’s building, but if even one valve leaks, the system falters. The next two years will decide which way it goes.

Property Solvers welcome any reform that makes the market more efficient and consumer-focused. Whether through our 28-day cash buying, 56-day auction, or express estate agency services, our goal has always been the same – to make transactions quicker, simpler, and more transparent. These reforms echo that philosophy: building confidence through clarity, removing friction, and helping people move on with their lives.

If you’d like to see how these ideas are already being put into practice, or you’d like a free, bespoke valuation report to compare your selling options, you can reach me directly at ruban@propertysolvers.co.uk.

Thanks for watching – and as always, please like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more fact-driven deep dives on the UK housing market, auctions, and property reform. See you in the next one.