Could Homebuying Soon Be Quicker and More Transparent?
By Richard Jennings |
Created on 2nd July 2026
The biggest shake-up of the homebuying process in a generation.
Buying or selling a home in England is, for many people, the most stressful financial transaction of their lives.
The average time from accepted offer to completion sits at around 120 days, roughly one in three sales falls through entirely, and the cost of those failed transactions runs to an estimated £400 million a year in wasted legal fees, survey costs and mortgage arrangement charges (MHCLG, June 2026).
For buyers and sellers in South West London, where property values are high and the cost of a collapsed sale is correspondingly painful, the detail of what is being proposed is worth understanding properly.
What the Government Is Proposing
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government unveiled its Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap on 19 June 2026. The reforms span four main areas.
Upfront Sales Packs
Under the proposals, sellers and their agents would be required to prepare a sales pack before a property is listed, not after an offer has been accepted.
The pack would cover the condition of the home, leasehold costs and service charge history, flood risk, planning history, and the status of any chain.
The intention is that buyers see the material facts before committing to surveys and legal work.
Earlier Binding Agreements
At present, either party can walk away from a sale in England at any point before exchange of contracts, often with no financial consequence.
The government is consulting on making the process legally binding at an earlier stage, limiting withdrawal to cases where there is a legitimate reason.
This will not eliminate fall-throughs entirely. Surveys uncover genuine problems, mortgage offers are sometimes withdrawn, and personal circumstances change.
Digital Infrastructure
Paper-based conveyancing is to be replaced with digital property logbooks, electronic identity checks, electronic signatures, and AI-assisted legal processing.
The aim is for information to move between solicitors, lenders, and agents in real time, cutting the back-and-forth that currently adds weeks to the average transaction.
Higher Standards for Estate Agents
A new Code of Practice for estate agents is expected later in 2026, with a consultation on mandatory qualifications to follow from 2027. Currently, anyone can operate as an estate agent in England without formal training or a licence. The proposed changes would set clearer minimum standards for the sector.
How Long Will This Take?
The Code of Practice and improved listing guidance are expected by the end of 2026. Consultation on agent qualifications and expanded digital tools is planned for 2027. Full legislation covering sales packs, binding contracts, and digital systems is targeted by the end of this Parliament (MHCLG, June 2026).
What It Means If You Are Buying or Selling Now
If you are active in the market today, the reforms do not yet change the process you will go through. Conveyancing still takes the time it takes, and fall-throughs remain a real risk. What the proposals do signal is that the government has accepted the status quo is not working, and that the direction of reform is toward more transparency at the front end of the process, not less.
For sellers, that means the preparation you do before listing is likely to become more formally required over time. Instructing a solicitor early, gathering leasehold documentation in advance, and being clear about the property’s history are already good practice. They are likely to become standard expectation.
For buyers, earlier access to material information should, in time, make it easier to assess a purchase before committing significant costs. It will not remove the need for a survey, but it should reduce the number of cases where a survey uncovers something that was always knowable and simply was not disclosed.
The government’s own estimate is that the full package could cut average buying times by around four weeks and save first-time buyers an average of £650 in wasted costs (MHCLG, June 2026). For South West London buyers, where the financial stakes of a collapsed purchase are considerably higher than the national average, the potential benefit is proportionally greater.
If you are thinking about selling in South West London and want to understand how to position your property well in the current market, Avrasons can advise on what preparation genuinely makes a difference. Book a valuation to get a clear picture of where your home sits today, or speak to the team if you have questions about buying or selling in the area or wanting to book a survey.
Avrasons Limited has been established since 1965 as an independent estate agency specialising in lettings and management of residential properties. We also have a dedicated team dealing with freehold management. Other services that we offer include advice on acquisition and property development.
All our staff are professionally qualified and members of ARLA and NAEA PropertyMark and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. We are also members of The National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS), The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for non-investment insurance products.
