Petition · past parliament
Make home purchases legally binding once an offer is accepted
Closed
179 signatures
What the petition asks
The process of buying a home in the UK is outdated, complicated, and does not guarantee the seller (or the buyer) the completion of the contract.
The government needs to reform and overhaul the process to guarantee contracts are legally binding upon agreement of purchase and sale.
The government needs to reform and overhaul the process to guarantee contracts are legally binding upon agreement of purchase and sale.
A good comparison of an effective system is that of Ontario, Canada - where the agreement of purchase and sale is made between the buyer and seller, and at that time the contract is legally binding, ensuring the sale of the home. The fact that the UK system still allows buyers and sellers to delay "exchanging contracts" and to change their mind at the last minute, even with an agreed sale in place is absurd.
Timeline
| 25 Mar 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 25 Sep 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
179
Status
Closed
Opened
25 Mar 2021
Closed
25 Sep 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.