A Guide To The Changes To Buying And Selling A Home In 2025

• Conveyancing

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, climbing the ladder, or selling your family home, navigating the residential property market in 2025 can feel overwhelming. There have been lots of changes to buying and selling a home this year, and while the fundamental process of buying or selling a home hasn’t changed much, the legal and regulatory environment around it certainly has.

As a solicitor practising in residential conveyancing, I’ve seen how much has shifted in just the past 12–18 months. This guide highlights the most important changes to buying and selling a home and outlines the considerations you should be aware of this year, from digital trends to legislative reform.

1. Digital Conveyancing Is Growing — But Not a Silver Bullet

The first of the changes to buying and selling a home that came into force this year centres around digital conveyancing. Many law firms, estate agents, and lenders have embraced digital platforms to reduce paperwork and speed up transactions. ID verification apps, secure client portals and e-signatures are becoming more common.

For clients, this means:

• Faster communication (especially with solicitors and estate agents).
• Quicker ID checks using your phone or passport chip.
• Instant document uploads rather than relying on the post.

However, while technology helps, it doesn’t eliminate delays caused by chains, mortgage approvals, or missing documents. It’s not a fully automated system — and it shouldn’t be. Your conveyancers’ skills and experience remain essential for safeguarding your interests.

2. Fire Safety and Flats: New Laws Are Having an Impact

If you’re buying a leasehold flat, there are specific changes to buying and selling a home in 2025 to be aware of. In a building over 11 metres (usually around five storeys), you’ll now be dealing with the Building Safety Act 2022.

The key changes to this legislation are:

• Freeholders must pay for many types of building safety repairs (not leaseholders).
• Detailed safety documentation is often required before a flat sale can be completed — including EWS1 forms, Fire Risk Assessments, and Deed of Certificate documentation.
• Many lenders won’t lend on affected flats until fire safety issues are proven to be resolved.

What this means for you if you are buying or selling a home:

• Buyers: Expect longer timelines and possible complications if purchasing in a block of flats.
• Sellers: Have all fire safety documents ready early, or your sale may stall.
• Leaseholders: You now have greater protection from large service charge bills, but the legal process has more red tape.

3. Leasehold Reform: More Rights for Flat Owners

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, passed last year, is one of the biggest changes to buying or selling a home in decades and a significant shake-up to leasehold law.

Here’s what’s new:

• Marriage value abolished – this means lease extensions on short leases are now cheaper.
• Standard lease extension now 990 years (up from 90).
• Freeholders now face stricter rules around:
  • Service charge transparency
  • Permission fees (e.g. for subletting or alterations)
  • Building insurance commissions

For homeowners in flats or new-build houses sold as leasehold, this is a welcome step forward.

If you’re buying a leasehold property, make sure your solicitor explains the lease terms clearly. Even with these reforms, leasehold titles can still carry restrictions that catch buyers off guard.

4. Rising Interest Rates and the Mortgage Market

Although rates have stabilised after the 2022–2023 highs, average mortgage rates remain higher than the historic lows we saw during the 2010s. 

Mortgage rate rises impact buyers and sellers in a number of ways:

• Buyers face tighter affordability checks and smaller loan offers.
• Chains are more fragile, with occasional dropouts as mortgage deals fall through.
• Some sellers are reducing prices slightly to secure committed buyers quickly.

If you’re buying with a mortgage in 2025, be sure to:

• Lock in your mortgage offer early (offers typically last 3–6 months).
• Keep your solicitor and broker updated if anything changes with your finances.

5. EPCs and Climate Considerations

Environmental factors are playing a bigger role in home ownership following changes in buying and selling a home in 2025. Lenders and insurers are becoming more cautious about:

• Flood zones
• Coastal erosion areas
• Homes with poor EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ratings

While EPC ratings don’t directly impact mortgages (yet), they do affect marketability and resale value. The Government’s longer-term goal remains to phase out the least energy-efficient homes, especially in the rental sector.

Buyers must pay attention to the EPC when viewing properties. A low score might mean higher bills and possibly expensive upgrades in the future. Equally, sellers should be aware that a high EPC rating can make your property more attractive to prospective buyers. Consider making an inexpensive pre-sale energy improvement (like loft insulation or the installation of energy-efficient light bulbs).

6. More Checks, More Questions: AML and Source of Funds

Due to changes to buying and selling a home in response to increasing anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, solicitors are now required to carry out more in-depth checks on clients.

During the conveyancing process, you can expect your solicitor to:

• Verify your ID (including facial recognition software, sometimes).
• Ask for evidence of where your deposit or funds are coming from (savings history, gifts, sales).
• Decline to proceed if you can’t provide clear documentation.

If you are gifting money to children, you’ll need to provide:

• A gift letter
• Bank statements showing the source of the money
• Possibly ID documents of the person gifting

These checks may feel intrusive, but they are standard practice and protect both you and your solicitor from fraud risks.

Final Thoughts

Buying or selling a home will always involve a degree of stress, and this remains the case in light of the changes outlined in this guide. After all, it’s one of the biggest financial decisions most people make, but understanding what’s changed in 2025 can help you manage expectations and avoid pitfalls.

If you want to make sure you are prepared to buy or sell a home this year, there are a number of steps you can take to put yourself in the best position ahead of time. My top tips include:

• Instruct a solicitor early, ideally before your offer is even accepted.
• Be organised with paperwork, ID, and financial evidence.
• If you’re selling, get your property documents ready straight away.
• If you’re buying, ask early about lease terms, flood risk, and fire safety documents.

Choosing the right conveyancer can make all the difference when it comes to keeping the buying and/or selling process as stress-free as possible. At GA Solicitors in Plymouth, our award-winning team are hugely experienced in handling the conveyancing process for buyers and sellers at all stages in their lives, whether that is a first purchase or downsizing later in life. Our expert conveyancing solicitors will always talk you through any complexities and changes to buying and selling that you need to be aware of, and will be available as your port of call throughout the process.

If you would like to talk to one of our conveyancing solicitors in Plymouth, please contact us directly on 01752 203500 or email enquiries@GAsolicitors.com. 

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