Daunting discoveries, expensive delays and the potential for buyers to back out. Buying a home in England and Wales is a difficult and stressful process for many.
To combat this, the government has announced a series of reforms that aim to cut home buying times by around four weeks, save first-time buyers an average of £650, and stop nasty surprises cropping up at the eleventh hour.
Here, Which? explains what will change for sellers and buyers, when new practices will be adopted and how industry experts have responded to the announcement.
What has the government announced?
Following a consultation last year, the government has set out three key changes to improve the way the property market functions. These changes will apply to the property markets in England and Wales.
1. More upfront information
The government has announced that sellers and estate agents will have to provide key information upfront in 'sales packs' at the point of listing a property. These packs will set out a home’s condition, leasehold costs, and chain status to help buyers make informed decisions.
The approach would bring England and Wales closer to the system used in Scotland, where valuations and surveys are provided upfront as part of a seller’s home report. Research has shown that this leads to fewer failed transactions and faster completions.
The government hopes these changes will cut the time it takes to purchase a home, which is currently around 120 days.
2. Introduction of binding contracts
The reforms will also introduce new binding agreements to stop parties walking away without a legitimate reason.
At this stage, the government has not announced what the penalty would be for breaking a binding agreement. It also stresses that there will be provisions for legitimate reasons why a buyer may need to pull out from a sale.
When the government consulted on these reforms, it said this could halve the number of failed transactions, cutting the current fall-through rate of one in three to roughly one in seven.
3. Improved estate agent standards
In addition, a new Code of Practice will raise standards for estate agents, alongside proposals for mandatory qualifications for the sector. This is meant to ensure agents are properly equipped to support efficient transactions and rebuild trust in the sector.
Digitisation of the home buying and selling process
Alongside these reforms 'is a major shift to digital' in the home buying and selling process.
For example, digital property logbooks and sales packs will allow trusted information to be shared securely between professionals and accessed by buyers and sellers in real-time, cutting out the back-and-forth that causes so many delays.
Other digital measures to accelerate transactions will include electronic signatures, AI-assisted conveyancing to strip out duplication and digital identity checks.
In the announcement, the government cites that the Netherlands, Norway, and Finland have already shown that reforms like these deliver real benefits for buyers, sellers and industry.
The Netherlands, for example, uses a live tracking system for buyers and sellers to check their transaction status, which has helped achieve a completion time of 20 days on average. It also points to Norway’s changes to streamline and digitalise the system, which has estimated savings of up to £1.4bn over 10 years.
When will the changes be introduced?
Given the scale of the reforms, the government has announced a roadmap to gradually introduce the new measures.
The first change will come later this year, with the introduction of a Code of Practice to set out minimum standards for property agents and guidance to improve the quality of information in property listings.
From 2027, the government will consult on estate agent qualifications and expanded digital tools.
Finally, the government plans to introduce legislation by the end of the Parliament to require sales packs, binding contracts, and digital systems that support the efficient sharing of trusted digital property information.
Binding contracts will only be introduced after sales packs have been implemented by agents, to prevent buyers from being stuck in agreements without sufficient information about a property.
How have property experts responded?
The property industry has broadly welcomed the proposals, describing them as long overdue in addressing delays and uncertainty for homebuyers.
Johan Svanstrom, Rightmove's CEO, said: 'This is an encouraging step towards a faster and more efficient property market, addressing some of the biggest frustrations that home-movers and industry participants face. By making more information available upfront, there is a clear opportunity to reduce fall-throughs and increase transparency. Our UK-wide data shows that it takes a lengthy 170 days on average to complete a transaction and that over one in five transactions initially falls through.'
Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, the professional body for property agents, said: 'Propertymark is pleased to see the UK Government come forward with a phased roadmap to reform the home buying and selling process. For too long the process has been inefficient, costly and time-consuming. Propertymark data demonstrates that transaction times continue to trend upwards, prompting a sector-wide appetite and ambition for much-needed reform.'
Kate Faulkner OBE, Chair at the Home Buying and Selling Council, said: 'Changing the way we buy and sell a home requires commitment and collaboration across government, industry, the media and consumers. The good news is that much of the groundwork has already been done, with the foundations in place to support the improvements announced by the Government today.
'What matters now is that the roadmap is not just another set of ambitions, but a practical plan that works for industry and consumers alike. Developed through consultation and delivered in phases, it gives everyone involved the opportunity to implement change in a way that is realistic, affordable and sustainable.'
How much does it cost to move?
The average cost of moving home in England was estimated to be £17,831 according to research from Reallymoving, in November 2025.
The figure increased by 27% between November 2024 and 2025. Changes to stamp duty thresholds introduced on 1 April 2025, which added £2,500 in tax for the typical home mover, were the main driver behind the increase. The cost of conveyancing fees and surveys also rose.
The government’s proposed reforms may help offset some of this increase, but moving home remains more expensive than before.
Reallymoving also calculated the average cost of buying your first property at £2,315. The proposed changes, which could save first-time buyers almost £700, would make a difference to the overall cost of buying a first home.
