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UK Home Buying & Selling Reform 2026: What's Actually Changing

Published 20 June 2026 · 6 min read · Covers England & Wales

On 19 June 2026, the government announced the biggest shake-up of home buying and selling in England and Wales in decades. Here's what's actually in the proposals, the timeline so far, and the one part of the process the reforms still won't fix for buyers.

The headline change: "sales packs" at the point of listing

Under the new proposals, sellers and their estate agents will be required to put together a sales pack before a property is listed, rather than after an offer is accepted. This pack is expected to include:

• A property condition report — covering visible defects and known issues
• An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Leasehold costs and details, where relevant
• Chain position — where the seller sits in their own onward purchase

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook described the current system as outdated and inefficient for buyers and sellers alike, and the government's stated aim is to cut the number of agreed sales that collapse before completion — currently around one in three.

Why it's being introduced now

The case for reform rests on a structural problem: in the current England and Wales system, the information that actually matters — condition, defects, legal issues — tends to surface weeks or months after an offer has already been accepted. That timing is what drives renegotiations, delays, and collapsed chains.

The new framework borrows from a model that's already been running for years just over the border. Scotland has required sellers to produce a Home Report before marketing a property since 2008, and the England and Wales proposals draw a direct comparison to that approach.

What else is in the package

The reform isn't limited to sales packs. Three other strands are worth knowing about:

Earlier, legally binding agreements

The government wants to introduce binding commitments earlier in the process, giving both buyer and seller more certainty before they've sunk weeks into surveys, searches, and solicitors' fees.

Mandatory qualifications for estate agents

Professional qualifications would become compulsory for estate agents, part of a wider push to raise standards across the industry and give consumers a clearer way to judge who they're dealing with.

A digital, AI-assisted conveyancing push

The roadmap also leans heavily on technology. It builds on the government's AI Growth Lab, with legal services and conveyancing named as the first sector in scope. Law firms and conveyancers will be able to apply to test AI tools under that framework later in summer 2026, alongside continued investment in HM Land Registry's digital systems.

Timeline: what's confirmed and what isn't

• End of 2025: Government consultation on the proposals closed.
• 19 June 2026: Reform roadmap published; sales pack and related proposals announced.
• Later summer 2026: AI Growth Lab applications open for law tech and conveyancing firms.
• Ongoing: Implementation is expected to be phased in gradually rather than introduced all at once. None of this is law yet.

The Law Society has been surveying its own members on readiness. In a November 2025 survey of 210 conveyancing solicitors, around seven in ten said they believe digitisation will change their role, though a third said they don't yet feel ready for it.

What this means if you're buying right now

If you're house-hunting today, none of this changes your process yet — it's a roadmap, not a rulebook. But it's worth understanding the shape of where things are heading, because it tells you what "good practice" will eventually look like, and you can ask for some of it informally already (a seller with nothing to hide should have no issue sharing a recent EPC or known-issues list upfront).

There's also a gap worth flagging clearly, because the reform doesn't touch it: a condition report tells you what's wrong with a property. It doesn't tell you what fixing it will cost. "Roof needs attention" or "kitchen needs modernising" can mean a few thousand pounds or tens of thousands, and that's the number that actually determines whether a price is fair. Sales packs are about disclosure, not costing — so even under the new system, working out the renovation cost before you commit to an offer stays squarely on the buyer.

We track this gap in detail in our UK Renovation Cost Index, which breaks down real costs for common renovation jobs across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. If you're weighing this up against a standard survey, our guide on renovation cost assessment vs. building survey explains exactly where each one stops and starts.

Frequently asked questions

What is a "sales pack" under the new reform?

A sales pack is the set of documents sellers and agents will be required to put together before a property is listed, rather than after an offer is accepted. It's expected to include a property condition report, an EPC, leasehold costs and details, and the seller's chain position.

When does the reform actually take effect?

The roadmap was published on 19 June 2026, but none of it is law yet. Implementation is expected to be phased in gradually, with AI Growth Lab applications for conveyancing firms opening later in summer 2026.

Does the sales pack tell buyers what renovation work will cost?

No. It discloses condition, defects, and legal position — not the cost of fixing anything. That figure remains the buyer's to work out, exactly as it is today.

How much faster will buying become?

Officials believe the changes could cut the average purchase time by around four weeks once fully in place, partly by reducing the roughly one in three agreed sales that currently collapse before completion.