Conveyancing step by step: offer to completion

Your offer has been accepted, which is a lovely moment. Then comes a long stretch of emails, forms and waiting, usually summed up in one word: conveyancing. It sounds more mysterious than it is. Conveyancing is simply the legal work of transferring a property from one owner to another, and once you know the steps, the process feels a lot less like a black box. Here is the journey in order, whether you are buying, selling or doing both.

What does a conveyancer actually do?

A conveyancer (a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor) checks that the seller has the right to sell, looks into anything that could affect the property, handles the money and registers the new owner at HM Land Registry. For buyers, they are your protection against nasty surprises. For sellers, they keep the paperwork moving so your buyer stays confident. Our glossary has a short entry on property conveyancing if you want the basics.

The 10 steps from accepted offer to keys

1. Agree the sale in writing: Once an offer is accepted, the agent sends a memorandum of sale to both sides and their solicitors. An accepted offer is not legally binding. Either side can still pull out until contracts are exchanged, which is why speed matters. Our entry on a property being under offer explains what that status does and does not mean.
2. Instruct a conveyancer: Pick one early, ideally before you make an offer. Ask for a fixed fee quote that lists disbursements (searches, Land Registry fees and so on) and check whether it is 'no sale, no fee'. Cheapest is not always best, because good communication can save weeks.
3. Complete ID checks and forms: Expect anti-money-laundering identity checks and proof of where your deposit has come from, such as bank statements or a gift letter. Sellers complete a property information form and a fixtures and fittings form. Filling these in fully and accurately at the start prevents awkward questions later.
4. The seller's side sends the contract pack: This includes a draft contract, the title information and the completed forms. For leasehold homes it also covers lease details and service charge information, which can take longer to gather.
5. The buyer's conveyancer orders searches: These typically include local authority, drainage and environmental searches, and sometimes more depending on the area. Results can take anywhere from days to a few weeks, which makes searches one of the most common causes of delay.
6. Raise enquiries: The buyer's conveyancer reads the pack and sends questions to the seller's side about boundaries, planning permission, building regulations sign-off, guarantees and the like. Prompt answers keep things moving.
7. Mortgage offer and survey: If you are borrowing, your lender values the property and issues a formal mortgage offer, and your conveyancer checks its conditions. Read your survey carefully too, because anything serious may be a reason to renegotiate. Our glossary entry on a property survey explains the options.
8. Agree a completion date and sign contracts: Both sides agree a date, then sign. Buyers transfer their deposit to their conveyancer (commonly 10% of the price, though it can be agreed lower). Check that buildings insurance starts from exchange, because from that point the risk passes to the buyer.
9. Exchange contracts: This is the moment the sale becomes legally binding. Conveyancers swap signed contracts, usually by phone or secure email. Pulling out after this point can mean losing your deposit or facing legal action. Here is our short explainer on exchange of contracts.
10. Completion day: The remaining money moves, the seller's conveyancer confirms receipt and the agent releases the keys. The buyer's conveyancer then pays any Stamp Duty Land Tax due and registers the change of ownership with HM Land Registry. More on completion in our glossary.

How long does it all take?

There is no single answer. Many sales take somewhere between two and four months from offer to completion, and chains, leasehold paperwork, slow searches or mortgage hiccups can stretch that. If you are wondering why things feel slower than they used to, our piece on why house sales are taking longer covers the market backdrop. A property chain adds extra moving parts, because every link has to be ready at once.

Common hold-ups and how to dodge them

• Slow paperwork: return forms and ID the same day you receive them. Most delays start with a document sitting in someone's inbox.
• Missing proof of funds: gather bank statements and deposit evidence before you instruct, not after.
• Unresolved survey issues: decide quickly whether to renegotiate, repair or walk away. Silence stalls a sale.
• Leasehold surprises: ask early for the lease, ground rent and service charge details, and a management pack where relevant.
• Nobody chasing: a polite weekly check-in with your conveyancer and agent keeps your file near the top of the pile.

Selling? A head start helps

Sellers can speed things up a lot by preparing before they list. Gather your title details, guarantees, certificates and building regulations paperwork, and consider instructing a conveyancer as soon as you go to market. If you are thinking of selling, you can sell your home with Moovehub for a flat fee and keep more of the proceeds. If you are selling a rental, landlords may also want to read our guide to capital gains tax when selling a buy-to-let before exchange.

The short version

Conveyancing is a sequence of checks, not a mystery. Instruct a conveyancer early, respond to every request quickly, keep an eye on searches and your mortgage offer, and remember that nothing is binding until exchange. Do that, and the road from offer to keys should be a smoother one.