Let the estate agent know that you’ve instructed us and provide them with our details. They’ll then send us the memorandum of sale, which confirms key information such as the buyer, seller, and agreed price—this is what officially gets things moving between both parties’ conveyancers.

The deposit is usually 10% of the purchase price and is paid just before exchange of contracts—we’ll request this from you once the documents are ready and a completion date has been agreed.

If you are part of a property chain, the deposit for your purchase might be described as ‘NIL’ or ‘held to order.’ This commonly happens when the deposit received from your related sale is used to cover the deposit required for your purchase, without the funds needing to be physically transferred multiple times. If there is a shortfall between the deposits, we will let you know what additional funds are needed from you. We’ll guide you through this at the time.

This is where we confirm how you’ve built up the money you’re using to buy the property. It’s different from a mortgage affordability check. Common sources include:

• Personal savings
• Gift from a family member
• Sale of another property
• Inheritance

Even if the funds are already in your bank, we need to see how they got there. This is mandatory for all solicitors and helps ensure the transaction complies with anti-money laundering rules. We use Armalytix, a trusted and secure service, to make this part of your journey as smooth and efficient as possible. Watch out for your separate email from Armalytix to get started.

If you’re using a Help to Buy (HTB) ISA or a Lifetime ISA (LISA) towards your purchase, it’s really important to make sure the account is closed properly.

Please let us know as early as possible if you’re using either of these ISAs, as:

• A specific declaration form will need to be completed
• For HTB ISAs, we’ll need your closing statement
• For LISAs, we’ll need your application form for funds
• We must apply for the bonus at least one week before completion

We strongly recommend contacting your ISA provider early and checking their process, as some providers can take a few weeks to issue the required paperwork.

⚠️ Please note:
We’re not allowed to request these documents on your behalf, so it’s important that we receive either:

• Your HTB closing statement, or
• Your LISA application form

…no later than one week before your completion date.

Closing your account incorrectly, or leaving it too late, may mean you miss out on the government bonus — so starting early is key.

Yes, it does. Buying a property through an Affordable Housing Scheme (like Shared Ownership, Discounted Market Sale or First Homes Scheme) often involves specific legal requirements and documentation unique to that scheme. This can affect elements such as your mortgage application, specific deadlines, or the future resale conditions for the property.

We’ll guide you through these additional steps and specific details unique to your purchase.

For a full overview of these schemes and what to expect, please see our dedicated “Affordable Housing FAQs”.

As soon as your offer has been accepted, let your mortgage provider or broker know. They’ll guide you through submitting your full mortgage application.

Once your application is approved, a formal mortgage offer will be issued and sent to us directly.

We’ll need to check this before we can proceed to exchange of contracts, so it’s best to start the process as soon as possible to avoid delays.

If you’re not buying a new build — and especially if the property is older — you may choose to speak to a qualified surveyor early in the process to understand your options. They can advise and inform you on whether a survey is needed, and if so,  the most suitable type of report or survey based on the property.

Please note:
Your mortgage lender’s valuation is purely for their own purposes — it confirms the property’s value for lending but doesn’t check for issues. A private survey is there for you and can highlight any structural or serious concerns before you’re legally committed to the purchase.

Once we’ve reviewed all the legal documents, raised enquiries, and received satisfactory replies, we’ll prepare a report for you detailing all findings. After you’ve read and approved it, we’ll send the contract to sign. You can sign electronically or by post. We’ll hold your signed contract until you give us the go-ahead to proceed.

Most of our legal fees are payable on completion, once the purchase is finalised. We’ll include everything in your completion statement ahead of time so you can see exactly what’s due and when.

Your initial quote is an estimate based on what we know at the start. Sometimes, additional fees or property-specific costs that we pay on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’) come up as your purchase progresses. For example, if unique searches are needed for your area, or if your lender has specific requirements. We’ll make sure these are clearly explained to you in our reports or on your final completion statement.

You can also get a full picture of potential extra costs by looking at our ‘Common Additional Fees Guide’ here.

Every purchase is different, so we can’t give an exact timeframe at the start—but on average, a straightforward purchase takes around 12 to 20 weeks from instruction to completion.

The timeline depends on several factors, such as:

• Whether you’re buying with a mortgage or cash
• If the property is leasehold (these take longer If you’re part of a chain)
• How quickly others respond (e.g. sellers, lenders, surveyors)

To help you understand the journey, here’s a simplified breakdown of the key stages: