Nobody explains this properly the first time. You get an offer accepted, someone says "instruct a solicitor", and from that point a process you have never encountered starts happening around you at a pace you do not control.
This page explains the whole thing — what happens, when, what it costs, and what usually goes wrong. If you read one page before instructing anyone, make it this one.
Do you actually need a solicitor?
If you are buying with a mortgage, yes. Your lender will require a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to act, and in most cases the same firm acts for both you and the lender.
If you are a cash buyer you could in theory do it yourself. In practice almost nobody does, because the consequences of getting it wrong are permanent and expensive. You would be personally responsible for checking the title, carrying out searches, calculating and filing your Stamp Duty return, and registering at HM Land Registry.
When to instruct
As soon as your offer is accepted. Ideally before.
Estate agents will often push you to use their recommended firm, sometimes strongly. Be aware that referral arrangements frequently involve a fee paid to the agent, which is reflected in what you pay. You are under no obligation to use them. You may choose whoever you like.
Instructing early helps because ID checks and source-of-funds verification can be completed before anything else needs to happen. That routinely saves a week.
The whole process, stage by stage
Stage 1 — Instruction (days 1–3)
We send a client care letter confirming the fixed fee and scope. You complete ID verification and provide proof of your deposit funds. We ask for money on account to cover searches.
On source of funds: we are legally required to establish where your deposit came from. This is not a judgment about you — it applies to everyone, and it is a legal obligation under anti-money-laundering regulations. Have documentation ready: bank statements covering the period the money accumulated, and for a gifted deposit, a letter from whoever gave it plus their own ID and evidence of source. Gifted deposits are the single most common cause of delay at this stage.
Stage 2 — Contract pack (weeks 1–2)
The seller's solicitor sends the draft contract, title documents, and the seller's property forms — the TA6 Property Information Form and TA10 Fittings and Contents Form.
Read the TA10 carefully. It records what is included in the sale. Disputes about missing curtains and light fittings are trivial but genuinely common, and they are avoidable at this stage.
Stage 3 — Searches (weeks 2–5)
Local authority search. Planning history, building regulations, road adoption status, planned development nearby, conservation area or listed status, tree preservation orders. Turnaround varies significantly by council.
Drainage and water search. Whether the property connects to mains water and public sewers, and where the pipes run — relevant if you plan to extend.
Environmental search. Contaminated land, landfill, flooding, ground stability, radon.
Others where relevant. Coal mining, chancel repair liability, and location-specific searches.
Stage 4 — Enquiries (weeks 3–6)
We raise questions with the seller's solicitor about anything unclear. Common ones: building work without documented approval, boundary responsibilities, rights of way, disputes with neighbours, guarantees for damp or timber treatment.
This stage is the most common cause of delay, because it depends entirely on how quickly the other side responds.
Stage 5 — Mortgage (alongside)
Your lender issues its offer. We check the conditions — there are sometimes requirements attached that you need to know about — and confirm the property meets its requirements.
Stage 6 — Report to you (2–3 days)
We write to you explaining what we found: what you are buying, restrictions on it, anything the searches revealed, and anything we think you should be concerned about.
Read this properly. It is the document that tells you what you are actually purchasing. Ask questions.
Stage 7 — Exchange
You sign the contract, pay your deposit — usually 10%, sometimes less by agreement — and contracts are exchanged.
At this point the transaction becomes legally binding. Pulling out afterwards means losing your deposit and potentially facing a claim. The completion date is fixed at exchange.
Stage 8 — Completion
We request your mortgage funds, receive your balance, and transfer the money. Once the seller's solicitor confirms receipt, the agent releases the keys.
Completion normally happens between 11am and 2pm. It depends on money moving through the chain, so it can be later. Do not book the removal van for 9am.
Stage 9 — After completion
What it costs
Budget for four separate things.
1. Our legal fee — fixed, agreed upfront.
2. Disbursements — searches, Land Registry fees, bank transfer fees, ID checks. Typically Fixed Fee — please contact us for a quote in total.
3. Stamp Duty Land Tax. First-time buyer relief means no SDLT up to £300,000, then 5% between £300,001 and £500,000, with no relief above £500,000.
To qualify, all buyers must be first-time buyers and must intend to occupy the property as their main residence. If you are buying with someone who has owned before — anywhere in the world — the relief is lost entirely.
4. Your deposit.
Costs outside our control: survey (£400–£1,500 depending on level), mortgage arrangement fee, removals, buildings insurance from exchange.
→ Full price list · Get a quote
What usually goes wrong
Slow responses from the other side. The commonest cause of delay, and largely outside anyone's control.
Chains. Every additional party is another point of failure. A four-property chain moves at the speed of its slowest member.
Mortgage delays. Down-valuations are the worst version: the lender values the property below the agreed price and reduces the loan, leaving a gap you must fund or renegotiate.
Gifted deposit paperwork. Start early. It always takes longer than expected.
Missing building regulations approval. Extensions and conversions without documented approval. Usually solved with indemnity insurance, but it takes time.
Leasehold information packs. If you are buying a flat, the managing agent's pack is frequently the bottleneck. They set their own timescales and their own fees.
Everyone going quiet. Sometimes nothing is wrong and the file is simply waiting. We will tell you which it is.
Jargon, translated
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Completion | Money moves, you get the keys |
| Exchange | Contracts become binding |
| Disbursements | Costs paid to third parties |
| Freehold | You own the building and the land |
| Leasehold | You own the right to occupy for a fixed term |
| Title deeds | Documents proving ownership |
| TA6 | Seller's property information form |
| TA10 | Fittings and contents form |
| Searches | Enquiries of council, water company and environmental bodies |
| Requisitions | Final pre-completion enquiries |
| Redemption | Paying off the seller's mortgage |
| SDLT | Stamp Duty Land Tax |
| Gazumping | Seller accepts a higher offer before exchange |
| Chain | Linked transactions dependent on each other |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take? Eight to fourteen weeks for a freehold purchase, twelve to twenty for leasehold. First-time buyers with no chain behind them are often faster.
When do I pay my deposit? On exchange, not before. Usually 10% of the purchase price, though a lower deposit can sometimes be agreed.
Do I have to use the estate agent's solicitor? No. Agents often receive a referral fee, and you are free to choose. Get at least two quotes.
What is the difference between a survey and searches? A survey inspects the physical condition of the building — you arrange and pay for it. Searches are legal enquiries about the property and the area, carried out by us. You need both, and neither substitutes for the other.
When should I get buildings insurance? From exchange, not completion. Once contracts are exchanged you are contractually committed, and in most cases the risk passes to you at that point.
Can I move in before completion? Almost never, and we would advise against attempting it. Occupying before completion creates significant legal complications.
What happens if the seller pulls out? Before exchange, they can — and you lose whatever you have spent on searches, survey and legal fees to that point. This is the main financial risk of the English system. After exchange, they are committed.
Do I need a solicitor for a new build? Yes, and new builds have particular features — short exchange deadlines, off-plan risks, estate management charges. → New build conveyancing
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