Having your offer accepted is exciting — but in England and Wales, it's not legally binding yet. Here's a step-by-step guide to everything that happens between offer acceptance and getting the keys.
Contact a conveyancing solicitor or licensed conveyancer as soon as your offer is accepted. They'll send you a client care letter and begin gathering information about the property. Average solicitor fees for buyers: £900–£1,500. Compare quotes before instructing.
If you have a mortgage in principle, convert it to a full application now. Your lender will instruct a mortgage valuation — don't confuse this with a survey; it protects the lender, not you. Formal mortgage offers typically take 2–4 weeks from application.
A survey is separate from the mortgage valuation and is commissioned by you. A Level 2 (HomeBuyer Report) costs £400–£700; a Level 3 (Building Survey) costs £600–£1,500. The survey may reveal defects that allow you to renegotiate the price. Don't skip this step.
Your solicitor will order searches — local authority, environmental, drainage and water, and sometimes others. Local authority searches in some areas can take 5–40+ days. Results reveal planning issues, flood risk, contamination, and drainage routes. Total search cost: £150–£500.
Your solicitor reviews the draft contract, title deeds, and forms (TA6, TA10) supplied by the seller's solicitor. They'll raise enquiries — questions about the property — which the seller must answer. This back-and-forth can take several weeks.
Once the lender is satisfied with the valuation and your application, they issue a formal mortgage offer. Review it carefully with your broker. The offer is typically valid for 3–6 months. Your solicitor will also check it as part of the conveyancing report.
Once searches are back, enquiries answered, survey done, and mortgage offer received, your solicitor will prepare a report on title for you to sign. You pay your deposit (usually 10%) and the signed contracts are exchanged simultaneously between both solicitors. This is the legally binding point.
On completion day, your solicitor transfers the remaining purchase funds to the seller's solicitor. Once confirmed, the estate agent releases the keys. You're now the legal owner. Your solicitor registers the title in your name at Land Registry (takes a few weeks to a few months).
| Stage | Typical Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Instruct solicitor & mortgage application | Week 1 |
| Survey booked and completed | Weeks 1–3 |
| Searches ordered and returned | Weeks 2–6 |
| Enquiries raised and answered | Weeks 3–8 |
| Formal mortgage offer received | Weeks 4–6 |
| Exchange of contracts (legally binding) | Weeks 8–12 |
| Completion / moving day | Weeks 10–16 |
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