The Government has published its roadmap for home buying and selling reform in England and Wales. The announcement follows two consultations launched in October 2025 and sets out a phased programme of reform aimed at making residential property transactions faster, more transparent and more certain.
The current system is often criticised for delay, duplication and uncertainty. Buyers may only discover important information after an offer has been accepted. Sellers are often required to gather documents reactively during the transaction. Conveyancers, estate agents, lenders, surveyors, freeholders and managing agents may all need to request, check and re-check information at different stages of the process.
The Government’s roadmap seeks to address these problems by moving key information to the beginning of the transaction, improving professional standards, increasing digitalisation and introducing earlier contractual commitment between buyers and sellers.
Written by John Ju, Conveyancing Paralegal
Why reform is being proposed
The Government has identified a number of recurring issues within the current home moving process, including late and inconsistent information, limited commitment between parties before exchange, lack of transparency around delays, repeated checks and insufficient digitalisation.
At present, a buyer will usually make an offer before receiving the full legal, practical and financial picture of the property. This can include title issues, tenure, lease length, service charges, ground rent, searches, property condition, building safety information and other matters which may affect whether the buyer wishes, or is able, to proceed.
If problems arise late in the transaction, the buyer and seller may already have incurred significant costs. The wider chain may also be affected. The Government’s objective is therefore to create a system in which buyers can make better-informed decisions earlier, and sellers are better prepared before marketing their property.
Upfront information and sales packs
A key part of the reform is the introduction of more comprehensive upfront information. In the longer term, the Government intends to require sellers to prepare a sales pack before a property is listed for sale.
The contents of the sales pack are still subject to further development, but the Government has indicated that it may include information such as tenure type, service charge and ground rent details, council tax banding, EPC rating, title information, building safety information, a general property information questionnaire, chain status etc.
The aim is to avoid key issues only being discovered once the transaction is already underway. For buyers, this should mean greater transparency at the point of deciding whether to view, offer on or proceed with a property. For sellers, it means that preparation will need to take place before the property goes on the market.
For conveyancers, this could represent a major shift in workflow. Seller-side conveyancers may become involved earlier in the process to review title, assist with sales pack preparation and identify potential issues before a buyer is found.
Material information in property listings
The roadmap also addresses the quality of material information provided in property listings.
Historically, listings have often focused on price, location, photographs and general descriptions. However, information such as tenure, leasehold costs, flood risk, planning constraints, building safety issues or other restrictions can be highly relevant to a buyer’s decision.
The Government intends to publish non-statutory guidance to help estate agents comply with their obligations to provide material information. A Code of Practice for property agents is also expected to follow.
This is a significant development for estate agents. The role of the agent is likely to become more information-focused, with greater emphasis on obtaining, checking and presenting relevant details at the marketing stage.
However, this also raises practical questions. Estate agents are not conveyancers or surveyors, and some issues may require specialist legal or technical assessment. It will therefore be important for the guidance to clearly define what agents are expected to collect and disclose, and when they should refer matters to a conveyancer or other professional.
Digital property logbooks and digital sales packs
Digitalisation is another central feature of the proposed reforms.
The Government wants to encourage the use of digital property logbooks and digital sales packs. A digital property logbook would operate as a secure digital record of key information relating to a property. Over time, this could include title information, planning history, building control records, energy performance data, leasehold information, management information, warranties, guarantees and other property-specific documents.
The potential benefit is clear. At present, similar information is often collected repeatedly each time a property is sold, refinanced or altered. If reliable digital records can be created and maintained, this may reduce duplication and speed up the transaction process.
However, digitalisation will only be effective if the data is accurate, trusted and kept up to date. There will need to be clear rules on who is responsible for maintaining the information, who may access it, how it is verified and what happens if incorrect or outdated information causes loss.
Data security and professional liability will therefore be key issues as the reforms develop.
Binding conditional contracts
The roadmap also proposes the future introduction of binding conditional contracts.
Under the current system in England and Wales, either party can usually withdraw before exchange of contracts without significant legal consequences. This can lead to chain collapse and wasted costs.
Binding conditional contracts are intended to create earlier commitment between the parties, while still allowing withdrawal in agreed circumstances. The Government has indicated that these contracts aim to give both sides greater certainty earlier in the transaction, while still allowing withdrawal in agreed circumstances. They will only be introduced once sales packs have become part of the standard process.
This sequence is important. Buyers should not be expected to commit to a transaction before they have received sufficient information about the property. If binding conditional contracts are introduced too early, there is a risk that buyers could be unfairly locked into transactions before discovering serious issues.
Further consultation will be needed on penalty fees, permitted withdrawal circumstances and dispute resolution mechanisms. The system will need to balance certainty with fairness.
Leasehold and managed estate information
The reforms are also likely to be particularly relevant to leasehold properties and managed estates.
Leasehold transactions often face delays because key information must be obtained from freeholders, managing agents or management companies. This may include service charge accounts, ground rent information, building insurance details, planned major works, building safety documents and replies to standard leasehold enquiries.
In practice, delays in receiving management information can slow down a transaction even where the buyer and seller are ready to proceed. Fees for providing this information can also vary significantly.
A more standardised and timely approach to leasehold and managed estate information would be welcomed by many conveyancers. For leasehold buyers, having clearer information upfront would also help them understand the ongoing financial and practical obligations attached to the property before they commit to the purchase.
Timeline for implementation
The Government intends to implement the reforms gradually.
In the short term, the focus will be on guidance, industry engagement and preparing the sector for future change. This includes guidance on material information and a Code of Practice for property agents.
From 2027 onwards, the Government intends to consult on mandatory qualifications for estate and letting agents and work with the sector on digital ID, qualified electronic signatures, digital logbooks and digital sales packs.
In the longer term, the Government plans to legislate for sales packs before listing, binding conditional contracts once sales packs are in place, and secure digital data sharing.
Our thoughts
As a conveyancing paralegal, I can see why reform is needed. Many of the delays in residential conveyancing are not caused by one single party, but by the structure of the process itself. Information often arrives too late, replies to enquiries are sometimes incomplete, and different professionals may be waiting on each other before they can move the transaction forward.
The principle of upfront information is therefore sensible. If title information, searches, leasehold information, management documents and property condition details are available earlier, many issues can be identified before the buyer has incurred substantial costs. This should allow clients to make better-informed decisions.
From a practical conveyancing perspective, however, the success of the reforms will depend on the quality and reliability of the information provided. A sales pack is only useful if it is accurate, complete and accepted by the parties who need to rely on it, including buyers, conveyancers, lenders and surveyors. If buyers or lenders do not trust the information, they may still require duplicate checks, which would reduce the benefit of the proposed reform.
There is also a risk that upfront sales packs may increase the initial cost burden on sellers. Some sellers may be reluctant to pay for searches, reports and legal input before they know whether the property will sell. This may be particularly relevant where a property is placed on the market speculatively.
I also consider that leasehold transactions will need particular attention. In many leasehold matters, the main delay is not simply the buyer’s or seller’s conveyancer, but the time taken to obtain management information from third parties. Unless freeholders, managing agents and estate managers are also brought into the reform process with clear timeframes and proportionate fees, leasehold transactions may continue to experience delays.
The proposed use of binding conditional contracts could improve certainty, but it must be handled carefully. Buyers should not be penalised for withdrawing where genuinely material information comes to light after they have committed. Any system of penalties or exceptions must be clear, fair and easy for consumers to understand.
Overall, the direction of travel is positive. Earlier information, better digital systems and clearer professional standards could make the home moving process more efficient and less stressful. However, the reforms should not simply move pressure from one stage of the transaction to another. They must be supported by reliable data, clear responsibility, realistic timescales and proper collaboration between estate agents, conveyancers, lenders, surveyors and management companies.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Our conveyancing team will be happy to guide you through the process and help make your transaction as smooth as possible.
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