- Buying a home
- 6 min read
A First-Time Buyer's Plain-English Guide
From your accepted offer to the keys in your hand, what really happens, in the order it happens.
Buying your first home is exciting, but the legal bit can feel like a foreign language. This is what your conveyancer actually does for you, step by step
1. Instruct your solicitor
Once your offer is accepted, you appoint a solicitor (that's us). We send you an engagement letter, ID forms and a quote with fixed fees so there are no surprises.
2. Searches and enquiries
We order local authority, water, drainage and environmental searches. These tell us about planning permissions, flood risk, road schemes and anything that might affect the property.
- Local authority search — planning history, road status, conservation areas
- Drainage & water — who owns the pipes, where they run
- Environmental — flood risk, ground stability, contamination
3. Reviewing the contract
We check the title deeds, lease (if leasehold), the seller's property information form and the fixtures & fittings list. We raise enquiries on anything that isn't clear.
4. Mortgage and signing
Your lender issues a mortgage offer. We send you a final report explaining everything in plain English and you sign the contract and Transfer.
5. Exchange and completion
On exchange, the deal becomes legally binding and your completion date is set. On completion day, we send the money, the seller hands over the keys, and the house is yours.
FAQs
How long does it all take?
Most first-time-buyer purchases complete in 8–12 weeks from instruction. Chains and leasehold properties can take longer.
Do I pay stamp duty?
First-time buyers in England pay no stamp duty up to £425,000. Above that there are reduced rates up to £625,000.
— The takeaway
You don't need to understand every legal step, you just need someone who'll explain each one clearly when it matters.
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Specialist solicitors for residential and commercial conveyancing, wills and probate. Based in Solihull, serving clients across the UK.
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