More than a third of UK homeowners want property sellers to provide survey information upfront amid growing frustration with a system many view as outdated, slow and unnecessarily stressful.
New research by We Buy Any Home found that 35% of homeowners would support making surveys available before offers are made, while 34% called for a ban on gazumping and gazundering – practices long blamed for adding uncertainty and tension to the moving process.
The nationwide study of 1,000 homeowners, conducted by research firm Obsurvant, comes as the Government prepares to unveil a package of measures aimed at modernising the home-buying process.
Proposals under consideration include giving buyers and sellers earlier access to key property information to cut transaction times and reduce fall-throughs.
BINDING OFFERS
The survey also revealed support for a range of other reforms. Thirty per cent of respondents backed new rules to prevent chains from collapsing, while 29% favoured adopting a Scottish-style binding offer system, where transactions are legally committed once an offer is accepted. A similar proportion supported the digitisation of land registry and local searches.
Elliot Castle (main picture), Chief Executive of We Buy Any Home, says: “It’s clear that many homeowners are fed-up with the uncertainty and stress that come with buying and selling property in England and Wales. Late offer withdrawals, missing paperwork, gazumping and long delays all contribute to a system that feels outdated and needlessly stressful.
“The government’s commitment to modernising the housing market is long overdue. A fairer, faster and more transparent process would not only make moving home less of a headache, but also help boost confidence and activity in the wider economy.”
