WILL THE GOVERNMENT’S NEW HOMEBUYING REFORM ACTUALLY WORK? WHAT IS IT AND WHAT DO WE THINK?
Friday June 26, 2026
The Government has recently announced plans for what it describes as the biggest shake-up of the home buying and selling process in England and Wales for decades.
The aim is admirable: make property transactions faster, cheaper, more transparent and reduce the number of sales that fall through before completion. For anyone who has bought or sold a property in England, the frustrations of the current system are well known. Transactions regularly take four to six months to complete, and around one in three agreed sales fail to reach completion.
But while the proposed reforms sound promising, the question many people within the property industry are asking is simple:
Will they actually work?
What Are The Proposed Reforms?
The Government’s proposals focus on several key areas designed to modernise the home moving process.
These include:
- Providing buyers with significantly more information before they make an offer.
- Introducing digital property information packs.
- Making greater use of digital identification and electronic documents.
- Improving communication between solicitors, lenders and agents.
- Potentially introducing earlier legally binding agreements to reduce gazumping and sales falling through.
The intention is to create a faster, more transparent system where buyers can make informed decisions earlier, and sellers can proceed with greater confidence.
On paper, this sounds like an excellent idea.
The Current System Is Far From Perfect
Having dealt with thousands of property transactions over the past 40 years, we can safely say that the current home buying process can be frustrating for everyone involved.
At Auckland Estates, we regularly see transactions delayed for a variety of reasons, many of which have little to do with the property itself and more to do with the complexity of the moving process.
Common causes of delays include:
- Long property chains – if one buyer or seller in the chain encounters difficulties, whether through a mortgage issue, a sale falling through or a change in circumstances, it can create a domino effect and delay every transaction linked to it.
- Conveyancing and searches – slow local authority search turnaround times, complex title issues, missing information or delays in communication between solicitors can all significantly slow the transaction process.
- Mortgage lender issues – underwriting delays, additional lending requirements, changes to a buyer’s financial circumstances or down-valuations by surveyors can all cause unexpected setbacks.
- Missing paperwork – absent planning permissions, building regulation certificates, guarantees, FENSA certificates or documentation relating to previous alterations can often create delays whilst matters are investigated or indemnity policies arranged.
- Survey surprises – structural movement, damp, asbestos, roofing defects or other significant issues discovered during surveys frequently lead to renegotiations, further investigations or additional reports, adding weeks to the transaction.
- Leasehold management pack delays – flats and leasehold properties often take considerably longer to progress due to delays obtaining management information packs, service charge accounts, insurance details and other information from freeholders and managing agents.
So Could The Reforms Help?
The short answer is: yes, to a point.
One of the strongest elements of the proposed reforms is the requirement for more information to be available at the start of the transaction.
If buyers have access to planning history, title information, leasehold details, management information and key property documents before making an offer, many issues could potentially be identified and resolved much earlier in the process.
Likewise, the continued move towards digital conveyancing, electronic identity checks and better communication between professionals should help remove some of the unnecessary delays that currently exist.
Greater transparency and earlier commitment from both buyers and sellers would undoubtedly benefit many transactions.
But There Is A Bigger Problem
However, having worked in the property industry for many years, we believe the Government may be underestimating one key factor:
Property transactions don’t usually fall through because of paperwork. They fall through because of people.
Buyers change their minds.
Sellers change their expectations.
Mortgage lenders change their criteria.
Relationships break down.
Employment circumstances change.
Property chains collapse.
Surveys uncover unexpected defects.
Unfortunately, no amount of digital technology or legislation can completely remove the human element from moving home.
We’ve Been Here Before
Those who have been in the industry long enough may remember the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) in 2007.
They were introduced with many of the same objectives:
- More information upfront.
- Faster transactions.
- Greater transparency.
- Fewer sales falling through.
Ultimately, however, HIPs added cost and complexity without delivering the transformational change that had been promised.
Whilst today’s proposals are undoubtedly more sophisticated and technologically advanced, there is a risk that history could repeat itself if implementation becomes overly bureaucratic.
Our Verdict
At Auckland Estates, we welcome any reforms that improve transparency, reduce unnecessary delays and help buyers and sellers move with greater confidence.
We believe that providing more information upfront and embracing digital technology are both positive steps forward.
However, we also believe that these reforms alone will not solve all of the challenges associated with buying and selling property.
The reality is that successful property transactions still depend heavily on proactive estate agents, experienced solicitors, sensible buyers and realistic sellers.
Technology can help.
Legislation can help.
But neither can replace experience, communication and effective transaction management.
After more than 40 years in the property industry, our view is simple: