This guide explains the main stages of a residential purchase or sale in England and Wales, the typical timescale and the costs involved. It is a general outline; we will explain how each stage applies to your own transaction.
Step 1: Instruction & Identity Checks
Once you choose a conveyancing solicitor, they will send you an initial client care letter outlining the terms of service. You’ll also be required to complete ID verification and provide key property details.
Required documents:
- Proof of identity (passport, driving licence)
- Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement)
- Mortgage agreement in principle (if applicable)
Step 2: Property searches and legal checks
The buyer's solicitor carries out searches to identify matters that may affect the property.
Common searches include:
- Local authority search: planning permissions, building regulations approvals and other matters registered against the property.
- Environmental search: flood risk, contamination and ground stability.
- Drainage and water search: whether the property is connected to the public water supply and sewers.
- Land Registry title: who owns the property, and the rights and restrictions that affect it. The title plan shows general boundaries only, not their exact position.
Step 3: Reviewing & Signing the Contract
Your solicitor will review the draft contract, highlighting key legal points such as:
- Property boundaries and shared access rights
- Leasehold vs. freehold conditions
- Mortgage lender requirements
Once satisfied, the buyer and seller sign the contracts, preparing for exchange.
Step 4: Exchange of contracts
Contracts are exchanged between the buyer and seller, making the sale legally binding. The buyer pays a deposit, usually 10% of the price, although a lower deposit is sometimes agreed.
On exchange:
- Both parties are legally committed to the transaction.
- The completion date is fixed.
- The buyer should have buildings insurance in place from exchange.
Step 5: Completion and handover of keys
On the agreed completion date, the balance of the price is sent to the seller's solicitor and ownership passes to the buyer. The seller vacates the property and the keys are released.
On completion, the solicitors will:
- Send and receive the purchase money
- Repay the seller's mortgage
- Account to the seller for the sale proceeds
Step 6: After completion
After completion, the buyer's solicitor will:
- Submit the Stamp Duty Land Tax return and pay any tax due to HMRC within 14 days of completion
- Register the buyer as owner, and any new mortgage, at HM Land Registry
- Send you a completion statement showing how the money was applied
Our conveyancing fees
In line with the SRA Transparency Rules, we publish our conveyancing fees.
- Our legal fee: purchase from £900 + VAT, sale from £895 + VAT, plus £250 + VAT for a leasehold or new build property
- Search fees: £182.86 on a typical purchase
- Land Registry fee: set by HM Land Registry on a scale based on the price
- Bank transfer fee: £40 + VAT per transfer
- Stamp Duty Land Tax: depends on the price and your circumstances
Get a quote with our Conveyancing Fees Calculator.