Buying house process step by step: regulated conveyancing

• The home-buying process in England and Wales involves ten legal and administrative steps, with an average timeline of five months. Securing a regulated solicitor early, obtaining fixed-fee quotes, and preparing documents can prevent delays and reduce costs. Choosing a trusted, regulated conveyancer ensures a smoother transaction and better protection against fraud.

The home-buying process in England and Wales follows ten clear stages: (1) offer accepted, (2) instruct a regulated solicitor, (3) submit mortgage application, (4) commission a survey, (5) solicitor orders searches, (6) solicitor raises pre-contract enquiries, (7) mortgage offer received, (8) exchange of contracts and deposit transfer, (9) completion, (10) post-completion Land Registry registration. Gov.uk guidance puts the average total timeline at approximately five months, though chains can extend this considerably. The fastest next step after your offer is accepted is to instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer regulated by the SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) or CLC (Council for Licensed Conveyancers) and request an itemised fixed-fee quote. Firms following the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol operate to a recognised standard that reduces delays and keeps both sides aligned.

• Steps 1–4 are largely buyer-led decisions.
• Steps 5–7 are solicitor-driven legal work.
• Steps 8–10 are legal milestones where timing and deposit arrangements must be precise.

Table of Contents

What happens at each step of the buying house process?

Estate agents owe their primary legal duty to the seller, not to you. Securing independent legal representation from a regulated solicitor is therefore the single most protective thing you can do after an offer is accepted.

1. Offer accepted. Agree the price in writing. Nothing is legally binding yet. 2. Instruct your solicitor. Provide ID, proof of funds and your mortgage details. Your solicitor opens the file, requests the draft contract pack from the seller's solicitor and confirms their fee structure. 3. Mortgage application. Submit your full application to your lender. The lender will instruct a valuation; this is not a structural survey. 4. Commission a survey. A RICS HomeBuyer Report or full Building Survey gives you independent evidence of the property's condition. Your solicitor uses any material findings to raise further enquiries or renegotiate. 5. Solicitor orders searches. Local authority, drainage and water, environmental, and chancel repair searches are ordered. Results typically take two to six weeks depending on the local authority. 6. Pre-contract enquiries. Your solicitor reviews the title, raises questions with the seller's solicitor and checks for restrictive covenants, planning permissions and any leasehold complications. This is where experience has the greatest effect on speed. 7. Mortgage offer received. Your lender issues a formal mortgage offer. Your solicitor reviews the conditions and reports to you. 8. Exchange of contracts. Both solicitors exchange signed contracts. You pay your deposit (typically 10%). The completion date is fixed and both parties are legally committed. 9. Completion. Your solicitor transfers the balance of funds. Keys are released. You own the property. 10. Post-completion registration. Your solicitor submits Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) returns to HMRC and registers your ownership with HM Land Registry.

Pro Tip: Prepare your photo ID, proof of address and proof of funds before you instruct your solicitor. Delays in providing these documents are one of the most common reasons conveyancing stalls in the early weeks.

How long does each stage typically take?

Buying a home in England and Wales takes around five months on average, but that figure masks wide variation. A cash purchase with no chain can complete in six to eight weeks; a long chain with leasehold complications can stretch well beyond six months.

With transaction volumes at 98,000 in May 2026, a 16.6% rise year-on-year, solicitor workloads are higher than they were in 2025. Choosing a firm with clear turnaround targets and confirmed capacity matters more in a busy market. For a detailed breakdown by scenario, see the conveyancing timeline guide on Conveyancing-solicitor.

Leasehold purchases add a distinct layer of complexity. Management company paperwork, service charge accounts and ground rent reviews each require specialist queries that can add weeks. Choose a solicitor with leasehold experience and, ideally, familiarity with the local Land Registry office.

What does buying a house actually cost?

Gov.uk confirms that buyers must budget for several costs beyond the asking price. Understanding each one before you instruct a solicitor prevents surprises at exchange.

• Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). Rates and thresholds vary by purchase price, buyer status (first-time buyer, additional property) and property type. Check current thresholds via the SDLT guide before making an offer.
• Solicitor fees. These cover the legal work itself. For a full breakdown of what typical fees include, the solicitor costs guide on Conveyancing-solicitor sets out current ranges.
• Search fees. Local authority, drainage, environmental and chancel repair searches typically cost £250–£450 in total, though this varies by local authority.
• Land Registry fees. Charged on a scale linked to the property's purchase price.
• Survey costs. A RICS HomeBuyer Report typically costs £400–£1,000; a full Building Survey costs more, depending on property size and complexity.
• Mortgage arrangement fees. Lender-specific; can often be added to the mortgage, though this increases the total interest paid.
• Deposit. Usually 10% of the purchase price at exchange, though some lenders and sellers accept less.

Disbursements are the third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf and passes through to you. They are separate from the solicitor's own professional fee. Always ask for a written, itemised breakdown showing which costs are fixed and which are estimates.

Pro Tip: When comparing quotes, ask each firm to separate their professional fee from disbursements and to confirm whether VAT is included. A low headline figure that excludes VAT or bundles in estimated disbursements can look very different once itemised. A conveyancing quote guide explains exactly what to look for.

How do you choose a regulated solicitor or licensed conveyancer?

Both SRA-regulated solicitors and CLC-regulated licensed conveyancers are legally qualified to handle residential conveyancing. The practical difference is scope: solicitors can handle a wider range of legal matters, while licensed conveyancers specialise exclusively in property. For a straightforward purchase, either is appropriate. For complex transactions involving trusts, disputes or unusual title issues, a solicitor's broader qualification may be preferable.

Questions to ask before instructing:

1. Are you regulated by the SRA or CLC? (Verify on the relevant public register.) 2. Do you follow the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol? 3. What is your typical turnaround for searches and enquiries? 4. Is your quote fixed-fee, and does it include VAT and all disbursements? 5. Who will handle my file day-to-day, and how will you communicate progress? 6. How do you verify bank details and protect against payment fraud?

Red flags to watch for:

• No SRA or CLC registration number provided.
• Vague fee breakdowns with no disbursement itemisation.
• Pressure to transfer funds to a personal or third-party account rather than a regulated client account.
• No professional indemnity insurance confirmation.

Pro Tip: Before transferring any money, call your solicitor on a number you have independently verified. Property fraud involving intercepted emails and falsified bank details is a real risk. Never rely solely on email instructions for payment.

For a prepared list of vetting questions, the questions to ask your solicitor guide on Conveyancing-solicitor is a practical starting point.

What legal checks does your solicitor carry out?

Your solicitor's early work, ordering searches and raising pre-contract enquiries, is where their speed and experience most directly affect the overall timeline. Here is what each check covers:

• Title investigation. Confirms the seller legally owns the property and identifies any charges, restrictions or covenants registered against it.
• Local authority search. Reveals planning decisions, road adoption status, enforcement notices and any proposed developments nearby.
• Drainage and water search. Confirms whether the property connects to public sewers and whether any public sewer runs beneath it.
• Environmental search. Flags contaminated land, flood risk and proximity to landfill sites.
• Chancel repair search. Checks whether the property falls within a historic liability to contribute to church repairs.
• Replies to seller's enquiries. Your solicitor reviews the seller's responses on boundaries, disputes, alterations and planning history.
• Leasehold checks. For leasehold properties: lease length, ground rent, service charges, management company accounts and any Section 20 major works notices.
• Mortgage lender requirements. Your solicitor also acts for your lender and must satisfy their specific conditions before reporting that the title is acceptable.

A title plan is the Land Registry map showing the property's registered boundaries. A restrictive covenant is a legally binding obligation on the land, such as a prohibition on building extensions, which passes to every future owner.

What causes conveyancing delays, and how can you avoid them?

Chains are the primary source of unpredictability. Even when your own transaction is ready, a delay anywhere else in the chain can hold up exchange or completion. Beyond chains, the most common causes of delay are:

• Slow or incomplete mortgage offers due to missing documents.
• Missing or out-of-date ID and proof of funds from the buyer.
• Incomplete replies to enquiries from the seller.
• Slow local authority search returns.
• Leasehold management company paperwork taking weeks to arrive.
• Late survey findings that require renegotiation.

Practical steps to reduce delays:

• Provide ID, proof of address and proof of funds to your solicitor on day one.
• Choose a solicitor who confirms their search turnaround targets in writing.
• Commission your survey as soon as the offer is accepted, not after searches are returned.
• Chase your mortgage broker weekly once the application is submitted.
• Ask your solicitor to confirm they follow the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol, which standardises communication between parties.

Pro Tip: Never act on emailed payment instructions without first calling your solicitor on a verified number. Intercepted communications that redirect your deposit to a fraudster's account are a documented risk in UK property transactions. Verify bank details directly, every time.

What is the difference between exchange and completion?

An accepted offer is not legally binding. You can withdraw, and so can the seller, right up until contracts are exchanged. Exchange of contracts is the point at which both parties become legally committed and the deposit obligation crystallises.

On the day of exchange:

1. Both solicitors confirm signed contracts are held. 2. Your solicitor transfers your deposit (typically 10%) to the seller's solicitor. 3. A completion date is agreed and fixed in the contract. 4. Buildings insurance should be in place from this point.

On completion day:

1. Your solicitor transfers the remaining purchase funds to the seller's solicitor. 2. The seller's solicitor confirms receipt and authorises key release. 3. You collect the keys, usually via the estate agent. 4. Your solicitor submits the SDLT return to HMRC and applies to register your title at HM Land Registry. For more on what happens next, see the guide on changing a property title.

Between exchange and completion, if you pull out you forfeit your deposit. If the seller pulls out, you can sue for breach of contract. The period is typically one to four weeks, though same-day exchange and completion are possible in straightforward transactions.

Key takeaways

The most reliable way to keep the home-buying process on track is to instruct an SRA- or CLC-regulated solicitor early, get an itemised fixed-fee quote, and prepare your documents before they are requested.

Why regulated conveyancing matters more than most buyers realise

Most buyers focus on the asking price and the mortgage rate. The choice of solicitor gets treated as an afterthought, something to sort out once the offer is accepted. That is the wrong order of priority.

The solicitor's early work, ordering searches, raising enquiries, chasing mortgage conditions, is where the transaction either moves efficiently or stalls. A firm that is slow to order searches or takes two weeks to respond to enquiries can add a month to your timeline without you even knowing why. In a chain, that delay ripples outward.

Fixed-fee quotes with itemised disbursements are not just about cost transparency. They signal that a firm has a clear process and is not hiding variable costs in the small print. A solicitor who cannot give you a written breakdown of what is included is one who may struggle to give you clear answers when the transaction gets complicated.

Regulation by the SRA or CLC is the floor, not the ceiling. Within regulated firms, the difference between a good and a poor experience comes down to communication, capacity and protocol adherence. Asking whether a firm follows the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol is a simple question that tells you a great deal about how they work.

Get an instant fixed-fee quote from a regulated conveyancer

Conveyancing-solicitor connects buyers and sellers across the UK with SRA- and CLC-regulated firms that offer transparent, fixed-fee quotes. The instant quote service matches you with vetted firms based on your property type, location and transaction, with no obligation and no hidden costs. Fees are itemised so you can see exactly what is included before you instruct. Compared with standard high-street rates, the service can save buyers up to 75% on legal fees.

• Fixed-fee quotes with full disbursement breakdowns.
• SRA- and CLC-regulated firms only.
• Local and nationwide coverage across England and Wales.
• No-obligation quotes available instantly online.

Get your instant conveyancing quote and compare regulated, fixed-fee options today.

Useful sources and further reading

The sources below are the primary references used in this guide. Each is authoritative and freely accessible.

• Buying a home (gov.uk) — the government's official guidance for buyers in England and Wales, covering the full process, costs and fraud prevention.
• UK House Price Index, May 2026 (gov.uk) — transaction volume data and market context.
• Law Society Conveyancing Protocol — the recommended standard of practice for solicitors acting in residential transactions.
• Estate agent duties guidance (Bromley Council) — explains why buyers need independent legal representation.
• Conveyancing-solicitor instant quote service — compare fixed-fee quotes from regulated firms.
• Solicitor costs for buying a house — detailed fee breakdown and typical ranges.

Scotland and Northern Ireland: The gov.uk guidance applies to England and Wales only. Scotland operates under Scots law with a distinct offers and missives system; Northern Ireland has its own conveyancing procedures. If your property is in either jurisdiction, consult a solicitor qualified in the relevant legal system and refer to the appropriate devolved government guidance.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current rules, thresholds and fees with a qualified solicitor or the relevant primary source for your specific situation.

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