The length of time it will take from receiving your instructions to acting for you until you can
move into your house depends on a number of factors. The average process takes roughly 8-14
weeks. It may be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are an
experienced home buyer, purchasing an unaltered, non-new build property with no title issues, it
might take 6 weeks. However, if you are buying a property in a chain or with title issues, it could be
significantly longer, between 4 and 6 months. In such a situation, additional charges may apply. Below is an outline of the key stages of buying a property.

1. Instruct your solicitor
   Once you have found the property you want to buy you will need to instruct a solicitor to
   handle the legal process for you. You will be asked to deal with your solicitor’s requirements
   as to identity and also to provide satisfactory source of funds evidence.
2. Enquiries and searches
   Once your solicitor receives the contract pack from your seller’s solicitor, your solicitor will
   then need to ensure that there are no legal issues with the property you want to buy and
   make you aware of any such issues.
   To do this they will order conveyancing searches which are likely to include a Local Authority
   search to reveal things like planning and tree preservation orders, a Water & Drainage search
   which will confirm whether the property is connected to mains water and sewage, and an
   Environmental search which covers aspects such as flooding risk. If you are buying in
   Cornwall, the Environmental searches will also include a mining report.
   Your solicitor will review the search results together with the contract pack and will usually
   raise queries with your seller’s solicitor. On receipt of satisfactory replies to these queries,
   your solicitor will then provide you with a written report in respect of the property.
3. Mortgage
   If you are buying with a mortgage, your solicitor will need to receive your mortgage offer
   and check that the conditions are requirements of your Lender are complied with.
4. Signing the contract
   Your solicitor will then usually ask you to sign the contract. By signing the contract, you are
   agreeing to buy the property and the detail of what is included in terms of fixtures and
   fittings e.g., whether the sellers are leaving the carpets and curtains, or taking them with
   them.
5. Exchanging contracts
   Once both the buyer and seller have signed the contracts and you and your lender are
   happy to proceed, your solicitor will exchange contracts, and (in discussion with you), fix the
   date for completion. You are then both legally bound to proceed with the transaction and to
   move on the agree completion date.
6. Completion & moving in
   Your solicitor will send the purchase monies to your seller’s solicitor and, once these
   monies are received, the estate agents will provide you with the keys to your property and
   you can move in.
7. Stamp Duty payment and Land Registry notification
   Once the transaction has completed your solicitor will make the SDLT payment on your
   behalf and notify the Land Registry about the change of ownership of the property.

Pricing
Information regarding costs involved are available on our pricing page here.