The Biggest Shake Up In A Generation

UK Property Market Reforms

What Are They How Will They Work?

If you've ever bought or sold a home, you'll probably agree on one thing—the system is frustratingly slow, expensive and unpredictable.

With around one in three property sales failing before completion, transactions taking an average of five to six months, and buyers and sellers collectively losing hundreds of millions of pounds every year, the Government has finally acknowledged what homeowners have known for years:

The home buying and selling process is broken.

What Is Changing?

Now, a package of proposed reforms aims to make buying and selling property in England faster, fairer and far less stressful. The Government has announced plans to overhaul the way homes are bought and sold, with several major changes being proposed.

Upfront Property Information

One of the biggest changes is the introduction of Property Sales Packs.

Instead of buyers discovering problems weeks or even months into the transaction, sellers will be expected to provide important information before a property is marketed.

This is expected to include details such as:

  • Property boundaries

  • Leasehold information (where applicable)

  • Local authority searches

  • Information about the property's condition

  • Details of any onward chain

The aim is simple: give buyers confidence from day one and reduce nasty surprises later in the transaction.

Earlier Legally Binding Agreements

At the moment, either party can withdraw from a sale at almost any stage before contracts are exchanged.

This leads to familiar frustrations such as:

  • Gazumping

  • Gazundering

  • Last-minute withdrawals

  • Thousands of pounds wasted on surveys and legal fees

The proposed reforms would introduce legally binding agreements much earlier in the process, with financial consequences for parties who pull out without a valid reason.

For many homeowners, this could be the single biggest improvement to the home moving process in decades.

A More Digital Property Market

The reforms also aim to modernise an industry that still relies heavily on paper documents and manual administration.

Future transactions are expected to make greater use of:

  • Digital property logbooks

  • Electronic identity checks

  • Electronic signatures

  • AI-assisted conveyancing

  • Secure sharing of property information

The objective is to reduce delays, improve transparency and shorten transaction times.

Higher Standards for Estate Agents

The Government is also consulting on new professional standards and qualifications for estate agents, alongside a strengthened Code of Practice.

For homeowners, this should mean greater consistency, better consumer protection and improved professionalism across the industry.

What About Leasehold?

Alongside improvements to the buying and selling process, leasehold reform continues to gather momentum.

Plans include making commonhold the preferred ownership model for new flats, reducing reliance on traditional leasehold arrangements and giving homeowners greater control over the buildings they live in. Other measures would make lease extensions simpler and fairer while tackling some long-standing issues around ground rents and ownership rights.

Will These Changes Solve Everything?

Probably not.

Legislation still needs to pass through Parliament, and many of the reforms will be introduced gradually over the next few years.

However, they represent the biggest attempt in decades to modernise a system that has frustrated buyers and sellers alike.

If implemented successfully, the reforms could:

  • Reduce fall-through rates.

  • Cut weeks from the average transaction.

  • Save buyers and sellers hundreds of pounds.

  • Reduce stress throughout the moving process.

  • Improve confidence across the housing market.

Our View

For what it's worth, at How To Sell A House, we've always believed that the best way to improve the property market is through better preparation, greater transparency and better-informed homeowners.

Many of the Government's proposals support exactly those principles.

But even if these reforms are introduced tomorrow, one thing won't change. The sellers who achieve the best results will still be those who:

  • Prepare their homes properly.

  • Price realistically.

  • Understand today's buyers.

  • Work with experienced professionals.

  • Make informed decisions from the very beginning.

Whilst legislation might improve the process, preparation will always improve the outcome.

The property market is changing—and the homeowners who adapt first are likely to benefit the most.