BREAKING: Government unveils major reforms to speed up and simplify home buying

Our Sales Director, Nathan Walker, gives his take on today's announcement...

Designed to make moving home faster, more affordable, and more straightforward, key points of the proposals include:

Sellers and estate agents could be legally required to provide key property information upfront, with binding contracts helping prevent either party from pulling out late in the deal.
First-time buyers could save an average of £710, while the reforms could cut up to four weeks off a typical property transaction.
Hundreds of thousands of families and first-time buyers are expected to benefit, with those in the middle of a chain potentially seeing a net saving of £400.
Transparency measures will include details on the condition of the home, any leasehold costs, and property chain information.
New technologies will play a key role in improving efficiency and reliability, with increased digitisation enhancing record-keeping, accuracy, and security, and AI adoption in conveyancing expected to speed up the process.

The government believes these changes will reduce the risk of late-stage deal collapses and boost buyer confidence, particularly for first-time purchasers. It's set to be the biggest shake up to the homebuying process in decades, marking a major step forward for anyone looking to move home.

And thank goodness - this should have happened years ago. The current home buying process is completely outdated, leaving sellers exposed to unnecessary stress, uncertainty, and financial loss.

The fact that buyers can withdraw from a purchase at any stage, often after months of conveyancing and with no real consequence, is frankly absurd. We’ve seen entire chains collapse on the day of completion, with sellers packed up and removal vans waiting outside. It’s astonishing that policymakers have allowed such a flawed system to persist for so long.

Other countries, including those across Europe as well as South Africa, Canada and the USA, have far more robust and transparent systems. It’s about time we took note and modernised our own approach.

Similarly, requiring key information such as structural surveys and searches to be completed before a property is listed would make the process far more transparent. Buyers would be better informed from the outset and far less likely to face unexpected costs or complications down the line.

All in all, this is a long overdue and very welcome reform that should bring much-needed fairness and efficiency to the housing market.”

Thinking of buying or selling? Get in touch with myself and the team on 02920 454555, or email sales@cpshomes.co.uk - we'd be happy to help!

06 October 2025

The information contained within this article was correct at the date of publishing and is not guaranteed to remain correct in the present day.

Back

Posts by date