Buying a home in the UK involves more moving parts than most first-time buyers expect, and delays often come down to not knowing what’s supposed to happen next. Here’s the process broken down into its key stages, from working out your budget to picking up the keys. This guide covers the process in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland follow broadly similar steps but with some different rules around offers and contracts.
1. Work Out What You Can Afford
Before viewing anything, it’s worth getting a clear picture of your budget. This means looking at your deposit, your likely mortgage borrowing based on income and outgoings, and the additional costs that sit on top of the purchase price, stamp duty (where applicable), solicitor’s fees, survey costs, and moving expenses. Getting a Mortgage Agreement in Principle from a lender at this stage isn’t binding, but it shows sellers you’re a serious, financially ready buyer.
2. Find a Property and Make an Offer
Once you’ve found a property, an offer is normally made through the estate agent, either verbally or in writing. In England and Wales, an accepted offer isn’t legally binding, either side can still walk away right up until contracts are exchanged. This flexibility is useful, but it also explains why chains can collapse late in the process.
3. Instruct a Solicitor or Conveyancer
Once your offer is accepted, you’ll need a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to handle the legal side of the purchase. Their job includes carrying out property searches (checking for planning issues, flood risk, or local authority matters), reviewing the contract, and liaising with the seller’s solicitor. It’s worth instructing someone as early as possible, since this stage often takes the longest.
4. Arrange a Survey
A mortgage lender will usually carry out a valuation to confirm the property is worth what you’re paying, but this isn’t the same as a survey, and it isn’t done for your benefit. Most buyers commission their own survey (a HomeBuyer Report or, for older or unusual properties, a full structural survey) to flag any issues that could affect the price you’re willing to pay or the repairs you’ll need to budget for.
5. Finalise Your Mortgage Application
With a survey and valuation complete, you can move ahead with a full mortgage application. The lender will assess your finances formally and, assuming everything checks out, issue a mortgage offer, a formal commitment to lend, usually valid for a set period (commonly three to six months).
6. Exchange Contracts
This is the point at which the purchase becomes legally binding. Both parties sign identical contracts, a completion date is agreed, and you’ll pay your deposit (typically 10% of the purchase price, though this can vary). After exchange, pulling out becomes financially costly for either side, so this is usually treated as the moment a sale is genuinely secured.
7. Completion
On the agreed completion date, the remaining funds are transferred, ownership legally passes to you, and you collect the keys. Your solicitor will handle registering the property with the Land Registry and paying any stamp duty due on your behalf.
8. Moving In
From here it’s just logistics, removals, meter readings, redirecting post, and registering with local services. It’s worth keeping a copy of all your legal paperwork somewhere safe, as you’ll likely need it again if you come to sell or remortgage in future.
The Bottom Line
The process typically takes somewhere between eight and twelve weeks from offer to completion, though chains, surveys, and mortgage delays can stretch this well beyond that. Having your finances organised early and instructing a solicitor promptly are the two things most likely to keep things moving at a reasonable pace.