Gazundering has emerged as a growing risk in the English and Welsh housing market, where buyers reduce an agreed price just before contracts are exchanged. BBC News, citing the Conveyancing Association and government data, notes that one in three house sales falls through before exchange, and that the practice costs sellers about £400 million annually while the broader economy bears about £1.5 billion in losses. The BBC report follows a family’s move from a three-bedroom terrace to a four-bedroom detached home, where, the day before contracts were due, the buyers reduced their offer by £15,000 after further research about the area. The seller described the moment as heart-stopping and emphasized the financial consequences if the deal collapsed, including legal and moving costs already incurred. Gazundering is possible because offers in England and Wales are not binding until exchange of contracts, and the typical time from offer to completion runs around 120 days. Advocacy groups say the issue has begun to rise in a market that has shifted toward buyers, with more properties on the market than buyers in some areas. The government has signposted reforms aimed at curbing gazundering and other frictions in the buying and selling process, with a timetable pegged to the end of the current parliament in 2029. In the meantime, officials told the BBC they intend to pursue legally binding agreements to deter last-minute walkaways, including penalties for noncompliance. In practical terms, industry voices advise sellers to tighten due diligence and contract timing, while conveyancers should gather Land Registry documents, local authority searches, and related checks, ensuring that property information questionnaires are completed before listing. Some sellers also consider reservation agreements or conditional binding offers as tools to mitigate the impact of gazundering. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has stressed its commitment to tackling gazundering as part of broader reforms, with delivery expected by 2029.
Source: BBC News
