Home buying reform: what changes mean for buyers and sellers

Better information from the outset

One of the most significant proposals is the introduction of mandatory sales packs before a property can be listed.

These are expected to include title details, searches, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data, property condition reports and, where relevant, leasehold information.

Currently, much of this information only becomes available after an offer has been accepted. Conveyancers are instructed, searches are ordered and legal documents reviewed, often adding weeks to the transaction. If unexpected issues arise, buyers may renegotiate the price or withdraw altogether.

Under the proposed reforms, buyers would have access to far more information before making an offer, allowing them to make better-informed decisions while enabling conveyancers to begin legal work much earlier.

"This is a common-sense change," says Dirk. "When buyers understand what they're purchasing from day one, they can make decisions with confidence. It should also reduce delays later in the transaction because much of the legal groundwork has already been completed."

Revolutionising home buying

England's home buying process has long been criticised for being slow, expensive and uncertain.

Buyers are frequently expected to commit to one of the biggest purchases of their lives with relatively little information about the property. Weeks later, surveys, searches or legal enquiries can reveal problems that delay the transaction, trigger renegotiations, or cause the sale to collapse altogether.

The process is equally frustrating for sellers, who can spend months progressing a sale only to find themselves back at square one. Conveyancing has become lengthy, expensive, and unnecessarily complicated, leaving both sides carrying the financial and emotional risk.

Another major proposal is the introduction of binding conditional contracts earlier in the process.

England remains unusual in allowing either party to walk away until contracts are exchanged, leaving buyers vulnerable to gazumping (when a seller belatedly accepts a higher offer from another buyer) or a seller suddenly inflating their price.

For buyers, gazumping and last-minute price changes can be financially and emotionally devastating. By the time they're outbid, they may already have spent hundreds or even thousands of pounds on surveys, mortgage valuations and legal fees, while emotionally investing in a home they believed was theirs.

"Greater certainty benefits everyone," Dirk adds. "If buyers know more about a property before making an offer, and sellers know those offers are backed by greater commitment, everyone starts the process on much firmer ground."

Raising standards across the industry

The roadmap also proposes a new Code of Practice for estate and letting agents, a consultation on mandatory qualifications and wider use of digital technology, including digital identity checks, qualified electronic signatures, reusable anti-money laundering (AML) checks and AI-assisted conveyancing.

These measures are designed to improve consistency across the industry while reducing unnecessary administration.

While technology has the potential to speed up transactions, Dirk believes people will remain at the heart of every successful move.

Adds Dirk: "Technology should support professional advice, not replace it. Buying or selling a home is still a significant life event, and experienced property professionals will continue to play an essential role in guiding clients through the process."

A positive direction for the industry

The reforms will require significant changes across the sector. Preparing sales packs before marketing may increase work and costs upfront, while agents and conveyancers will need to adapt to new systems and, potentially, new qualification requirements.

However, if implemented successfully, the reforms could deliver:

• Greater transparency from day one.

• Faster, more predictable transactions.

• Better-informed buyers.

• Fewer surprises during conveyancing.

• Reduced risk of sales falling through.

• Less paperwork through increased digitalisation.

For Campions, the reforms reinforce a principle the business has long championed: well-prepared sellers, informed buyers and experienced property professionals create better outcomes for everyone involved.

Dirk concludes: “For years, the industry has recognised that the home buying process could work better. These reforms won't solve every problem overnight, but they represent one of the biggest opportunities in decades to improve the way homes are bought and sold."