The UK property market could be heading towards a significant change in the way flats are owned and managed. The government’s proposed reforms to replace leasehold with commonhold as the default form of ownership for most new flats could reshape the buying, selling and management of residential property across England and Wales.

Having an offer accepted on a property should feel like a major milestone. But getting from “offer accepted” to “completion” can sometimes feel like a very different story. New research suggests that conveyancing is now seen by many homebuyers as one of the biggest obstacles to a smooth property transaction — even more so than property chains.

The Conservatives have unveiled a series of proposals aimed at reducing taxation and regulation, with housing and housebuilding featuring prominently within their plans. The party has described the wider programme as the “biggest deregulation project in a generation”, with proposals including abolishing stamp duty on property purchases.

The UK housing market has entered the final part of the year on a cautious but surprisingly resilient footing, with house prices remaining unchanged in September despite continued pressure from mortgage rates, household costs and wider economic uncertainty.