Five stages
From the first conversation to completion
A purchase in England or Wales follows a fixed order. The timing between the stages is not fixed: it depends on the property, the seller and the chain above you. What follows is the sequence, and what is being decided at each point.
Brief and search
We agree the area, the budget in euro, the property type and your timing. You receive a shortlist with a note on each property and our view on price. Nothing is viewed until you have said which ones are worth the appointment.
Your part: tell us what you actually want, not what sounds sensible.
Viewings
Appointments are booked with the selling agents, either live on video or in person with our adviser. You get photographs, measurements and a written note after each one, so the comparison is made on facts rather than memory.
Your part: react honestly. Ruling a property out early saves weeks.
Offer and acceptance
We advise on the figure and put the offer forward, with the reasoning attached. Once it is accepted, the agent issues a memorandum of sale and the file passes to the solicitors. Nothing is binding at this stage for either side.
Your part: confirm your budget including fees, and have proof of funds ready.
Legal work and searches
Your solicitor carries out the local authority searches, raises enquiries with the seller’s solicitor and reports to you. Your lender values the property and issues the mortgage offer. We keep all three threads on one list and chase the gaps.
Your part: answer the solicitor’s questions quickly. Delays here are usually yours or the seller’s, not the market’s.
Exchange and completion
Contracts are exchanged, a deposit is paid and the completion date becomes legally binding. On completion the balance is transferred, the keys are released, and the property is yours.
Your part: arrange buildings insurance from exchange, and the removal date around completion.
Words you will hear
The terms that matter
English property transactions have their own vocabulary, and a translated word is not always the same thing. These are the ones that change what you are agreeing to.
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Offer | Your proposed price. In England and Wales it is not binding on either side until contracts are exchanged. |
| Memorandum of sale | The agent’s written confirmation of the agreed price, sent to both solicitors. It is a record, not a contract. |
| Conveyancing | The legal work of transferring ownership: searches, enquiries, contract and transfer deed. |
| Local authority search | Checks on planning history, building regulations and nearby road or drainage schemes affecting the property. |
| Enquiries | Your solicitor’s written questions to the seller’s solicitor, and the answers that form part of the contract. |
| Exchange of contracts | The point of no return. Deposit paid, completion date fixed, and both sides are legally bound. |
| Completion | The day the balance is paid, ownership transfers and the keys are released. |
| Freehold / leasehold | Whether you own the building and land outright, or hold a lease for a fixed term with service charges and a ground rent. |
| EPC | Energy performance certificate. Required for a sale, and a useful indicator of running costs. |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax | A tax on property purchases in England. Your solicitor calculates and files it. We do not advise on tax. |
On timing
We will not give you a completion date we cannot hold
Some purchases move in weeks; others wait on a chain, a lease extension or a lender. What we can do is tell you honestly where your file stands each week, what is outstanding, and whose desk it is sitting on.
Ready to start the search?
Tell us the area and the budget. We will come back with what is available there now and what your money buys.