Wherever you are in the UK, the government is asking for feedback on ways to improve buying and selling a home.
What the consultation says:
In their ‘call for evidence’ consultation, they state:
They have worked with home‑moving experts to understand why the process is so difficult here, when in countries such as Norway or Australia it’s easier and less stressful.
Why is moving home so hard?
Reasons highlighted include:
- Buyers and sellers not having access to the right information at the right time
- Condition issues—such as damp or serious cracks—being uncovered after an offer has been accepted, risking collapse of the sale
- Planning permission information being hard to find—or missing altogether
- Paper‑based systems that prevent professionals from sharing information efficiently
They explain:
“Frustration is compounded by the lack of clearly defined standards for some property professionals, meaning buyers and sellers may not receive the service they deserve or know who to turn to when things go wrong.”
In the past, individual changes that were recommended or tried—such as Home Information Packs—haven’t worked. This latest consultation recognises that one or two tweaks aren’t enough; a review and changes to every stage of buying and selling, from deciding to move to the moving day—and even after are required.
The consultation highlights: here is a summary of the proposed changes
Upfront Property Information
When buying a property, much of the key information—such as searches and condition reports—often isn’t available until after an offer is accepted. The government is considering requiring some information upfront, before listing.
They suggest making the following available before you visit a property:
- Tenure (leasehold/freehold), EPC, council tax band, property title, lease terms, service charges, and issues such as flood risk
As a landlord, it’s possible there are properties you have bought where you didn’t know all the information – any examples you can provide of problems that could have been avoided and your thoughts on what buyers should know before they visit or make an offer would be really helpful.
Professional Standards for Property Agents
At Reeds Rains we have qualified staff trained in buying, selling and letting; there is currently no legal requirement for an agent to know anything about the process or the law.
The government is suggesting:
- Introducing a Code of Practice for all estate, letting and managing agents
- Consulting on mandatory qualifications for estate and letting agents
- Providing better consumer education and clearer complaint channels
Hopefully, you have had a good experience with Reeds Rains. But do you think that agents should all have to have qualifications, and do you think better information on buying and selling for consumers would be helpful?
Digital Logbooks & Sale Packs
When you buy a car, you can check the service history and even things like whether it has been in a crash. With property, especially homes lived in for years, there’s often no equivalent record.
The recommendation is to mandate digital property logbooks and/or sale-ready packs with essential information, such as title issues and covenants that may prohibit letting the property or running a business from it. They could also include any gas or electrical safety certificates, warranties, planning permissions, or building regulation approvals.
Binding Conditional Contracts
This approach is standard in Scotland. While not mandatory in England, reservation agreements are already available if both buyer and seller agree to use them.
The expectation is that a reservation agreement or conditional contract would be used; if either side withdraws (with certain caveats), penalties would apply.
Have you ever bought or sold with a contract prior to exchange, and if not, do you think this would be beneficial to buyers and sellers?
Consumer Transparency & Education
We always aim to provide clear information when buying, selling and letting, but the guidance from lenders through to removal firms can be inconsistent. The government is asking for your feedback on ideas such as:
- Use a proposed “Buying & Selling Charter” so the role of each service is clear
- Compare agents and conveyancers not just on price, but on speed, quality and local expertise
Streamlining Conveyancing
The legal process is more complex than it used to be. Fraud checks and new legislation (such as the Building Safety Act) have added work and time.
The government proposes to:
- Simplify Anti‑Money Laundering (AML) checks so you complete one identity check rather than multiple.
- Tackle title complexity and issues with managed freeholds to reduce risk and friction.
Would these actions help smooth the process of buying and selling a home? Are there any other ideas you have to help ease the complexity of buying and selling legals?
Leasehold Sales Reform
Although the last government passed the Leasehold and Freehold Act, giving more powers and transparency to leaseholders, much of it has yet to be introduced.
The government is suggesting:
- Enforcing standards for freeholders and managing agents to provide leasehold sales information faster and at capped fees.
- Delivering transparency and reducing delays for leasehold and mixed‑tenure sellers.
If you have bought and/or sold a leasehold property, do you think these changes would be helpful?
Digitising property data and identity
Finally, the government wants to digitise property data to improve transparency:
- Digital identity services and e‑signatures.
- Safe ways to store and share data digitally.
The aim is to cut down how often—and how much—it costs to prove your identity when using home moving services and to make sure details in property logbooks and sale packs can be added automatically, instead of generating files full of paperwork.”
What success looks like
The aim of these changes is to:
- Deliver a better service through more qualified professionals and improved consumer education.
- Provide more transparent, quicker property information that can be shared from lenders to brokers, agents, conveyancers and surveyors.
- Reduce the 1 in 3 fall‑throughs after an offer has been accepted.
Their hope is to provide “trust and confidence” in the home buying and selling process. [Quote retained]
What do you think the government should do to improve buying and selling?
As a landlord, you are essentially a professional buyer and seller, so the government really needs your feedback.
Please share your views on the proposals and any other ideas that would make buying and selling better for everyone.
The consultation doesn’t finish until the end of December, so if you can, do respond. The more people who do, the more likely the government is to move forward with these changes.
This consultation will last for 12 weeks from 6 October to 29 December 2025.
The Reeds Rains Content Marketing Team
