Industry figures have welcomed the government’s focus on first-time buyers but criticised the Autumn Budget for not doing enough on Stamp Duty Land Tax and wider homebuying reform. The new Your First Home scheme, a government-backed equity loan for new-build homes, has prompted both support and concern, particularly around transaction complexity, lender requirements and the need for clearer processes.
The article argues that proposed upfront information reforms in conveyancing will shift legal and administrative work earlier in the transaction process, making client onboarding more important. It highlights that better early information can reduce delays and fall-throughs, but also notes the operational and commercial pressures this may place on firms.
The housing minister has announced the first increase in shared ownership income eligibility caps since 2016, raising thresholds to £90,000 outside London and £110,000 in London. The government says the change is intended to keep the tenure accessible while it pursues wider reforms to improve affordability, transparency, staircasing, resales and customer experience across the shared ownership lifecycle.
The article reports a mixed industry response to the Autumn Budget, with support for the Your First Home scheme and the First-Time Buyer ISA, but criticism that the measures do not address wider housing supply, planning and transaction-cost pressures. Commentators also highlighted the absence of stamp duty reform and warned that higher taxes on property income could increase landlord sales and add complexity to conveyancing work.
The article reports mixed industry reactions to Chancellor John Healey’s Budget, with many welcoming greater fiscal devolution, business rates retention, and new housing-related measures, while warning that delivery and implementation will determine the real impact. Commentators also highlighted proposed VAT zero-rating for land sold to registered social housing providers from 1 April 2027, alongside concerns about the need for clear legislation and sufficient local capacity to turn policy into homes and regeneration.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a further round of anti-money laundering sanctions totalling £44,800 against several firms for failures in risk assessments, policies, controls and record-keeping. One firm, Gowlings Solicitors Limited, was also shut down through immediate regulatory intervention to protect clients and trust beneficiaries.
The article argues that home buying and selling reform should focus on the full transaction journey, not just the mortgage or deposit stage. It highlights the potential of smarter data sharing, more connected completion processes and reduced duplication to make transactions faster and more certain for buyers, lenders and conveyancers.
HM Land Registry has opened two consultations covering a simplified fee structure for certain registrations and wider access to its data. The proposals also explore greater public-sector and public-interest access to land ownership datasets, while retaining privacy safeguards for ordinary homeowners.
LMS has partnered with Veyco to enable Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) for digital signing of mortgage deeds, initially for lenders using its fee-assisted remortgage service and later for Panel Link customers. HM Land Registry says it supports wider adoption of QES and will accept them from August 2025 as part of its digital transformation agenda.
The article discusses the SRA’s decision to pause proposed changes to COLP and COFA roles, noting that the move will ease pressure on smaller conveyancing firms but also highlights broader regulatory uncertainty in the sector. It argues that firms are being asked to prepare for multiple overlapping reforms, creating cost, staffing and planning burdens even when proposals are later delayed or changed.
The Open Property Data Association is urging conveyancers and the wider property market to engage now with planned reforms to the home buying and selling process, rather than waiting for government mandates. The article highlights growing adoption of digital tools such as qualified electronic signatures, digital identity verification and open finance data, alongside a government roadmap aimed at making transactions faster, more transparent and less failure-prone.
The article reports that the SME and Boutique and Law Firm Alliance has urged the Ministry of Justice to reconsider proposals to divert a large share of interest earned on lawyers’ client accounts to fund access to justice. The group argues the scheme could disproportionately burden smaller firms, add administrative costs, and encourage work to move into the unregulated sector.
