Buying a house in England or Wales follows the same broad sequence for most buyers: set a budget, secure a mortgage agreement in principle, find a home, agree a price, then let a conveyancer and lender take the purchase through searches, survey, exchange and completion. This guide sets out each step as it works on 20 October 2026. If you are buying for the first time, read it alongside our guide to buying your first home.
In this guide:
Step 1: Set your budget and buying costs
Step 2: Get a mortgage agreement in principle
Step 3: Search for a property
Step 4: View properties
Step 5: Make an offer and stand out as a buyer
Step 6: Instruct a conveyancer
Step 7: Apply for your mortgage
Step 8: Conveyancing searches
Step 9: Arrange a survey
Step 10: Arrange buildings insurance
Step 11: Exchange contracts
Step 12: Book a removal company
Step 13: Completion
Step 14: Pay stamp duty or Land Transaction Tax
Step 15: Registration at HM Land Registry
How long does buying a house take?
Buying a new build home
Buying a house in Scotland
Step 1: Set your budget and buying costs
Know what you can afford before you start looking. The amount a lender will offer depends on your deposit, your income, your outgoings and your credit history. The property itself also matters, because the lender must be satisfied that it is suitable security for the loan. If you are buying with someone else, the lender will assess both of your finances.
Your budget must cover more than the deposit. Allow for:
- conveyancing fees and the cost of searches;
- a survey;
- mortgage arrangement or product fees;
- stamp duty in England or Land Transaction Tax in Wales (see step 14);
- removals, which cost £709 on average (Which?, January 2026, citing Reallymoving).
If you are still building your deposit, our guide to saving for a house deposit explains the options. If you already own a home with a mortgage, ask your lender whether the mortgage is portable to a new property and whether any early repayment or exit charges apply.
Step 2: Get a mortgage agreement in principle
A mortgage agreement in principle (also called a mortgage in principle or a decision in principle) is a written statement from a lender giving an estimate of what it is prepared to lend you. You can obtain one directly from a lender or through a mortgage broker. Most lenders run a credit search to issue it; some use a soft search that other lenders cannot see, while others use a hard search that is recorded on your credit file. Ask which type the lender uses before you apply.
An agreement in principle is not a mortgage offer. It is based on the information you give at the time and can change if your circumstances change. It does, however, confirm the price range you should search in. It also shows estate agents and sellers that you are in a position to proceed. Many agents ask for one before they arrange a viewing.
Step 3: Search for a property
Most buyers search on the property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla and register with local estate agents. Estate agents must give buyers the material information that could affect their decision. Under guidance from National Trading Standards, a listing should show the price, the council tax band and the tenure (freehold or leasehold). It should also give details such as the construction type, heating, parking and utilities. Where they apply, it should flag issues such as flood risk, listed status or building safety.
To compare prices in the areas you are considering, use our house price pages for 405 areas.
Step 4: View properties
When a property is popular, the agent may ask for your agreement in principle and your buying position before booking a viewing: whether you have a home to sell and whether you are in a chain.
Visit the area before the viewing, ideally during the day and again in the evening. If you cannot, look at the street on an online map. Write your questions down beforehand so that you do not forget them. During the viewing, look for signs of damp such as tide marks, staining or peeling paint. Check the windows, roof line and boiler as well. A second viewing at a different time of day often shows things the first one missed.
Step 5: Make an offer and stand out as a buyer
Make your offer through the estate agent and confirm it in writing. Deal directly with the seller only if the seller is selling privately without an agent. Expect some negotiation. Remember also that other buyers may be bidding for the same home. In England and Wales an accepted offer is not legally binding until contracts are exchanged, so either side can still withdraw or renegotiate until then.
Sellers do not always accept the highest offer. They look for the buyer most likely to complete quickly and without complications. You can make your offer more attractive in the following ways.
Have your agreement in principle ready
Send a copy of your agreement in principle with your offer. The seller’s agent will almost certainly ask for it to confirm that you can afford the price and the deposit.
Get a sale agreed on your current home first
If you have a home to sell, put it on the market before you offer. Ideally, have a buyer agreed. Many sellers prefer buyers whose own sale is already agreed, because the chain is then more certain. Some buyers move into rented accommodation after selling so that they can make an offer with nothing to sell.
Tell the agent if you are chain free or a cash buyer
A first-time buyer has nothing to sell and is chain free. A cash buyer with nothing to sell can usually move faster still. Make sure the agent knows your position, because an offer from a chain-free buyer is often more attractive to a seller than a higher offer from a buyer in a long chain.
Have your conveyancer and deposit lined up
Choose a conveyancer before you offer and tell the agent who will act for you. Have proof of your deposit ready. These show the seller that the purchase can start as soon as the offer is accepted.
If your offer is rejected, ask the agent why. Depending on the reason, you may be able to improve the offer. If the price is beyond your budget, walk away and keep searching.
Step 6: Instruct a conveyancer
Once your offer is accepted, instruct a conveyancer: a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor who specialises in property law. Do this promptly, because the legal work is usually the longest part of the purchase. If you are also selling, the same firm can act on both transactions, although you do not have to use one firm for both.
Your conveyancer checks that the seller owns the property and has the right to sell it, raises questions with the seller’s conveyancer, orders the searches and reviews the contract and your mortgage offer. On completion, it transfers the money. Fees vary with the price, the tenure and the complexity of the purchase, so obtain several written quotes that list every cost.
Step 7: Apply for your mortgage
At the same time, make your full mortgage application through your lender or broker. The lender will check your income and outgoings in detail. Many mortgages carry an arrangement or product fee; you can often add it to the loan, but you then pay interest on it for the term of the mortgage.
The lender will arrange a valuation of the property to confirm that it is worth the amount you are borrowing against. When it is satisfied, it issues a mortgage offer, which your conveyancer reviews before exchange.
Step 8: Conveyancing searches
Your conveyancer orders searches to find out about matters that affect the property but may not be visible on a viewing. The local authority search reveals planning history, tree preservation orders, listed building or conservation area status and proposed roads or rail schemes. A drainage and water search confirms how the property is connected to the public water supply and sewer. An environmental search covers matters such as flood risk and contaminated land. Depending on the location, your conveyancer may also recommend other searches, such as a coal mining report. Our guide to which searches are done when buying a house explains each one.
Step 9: Arrange a survey
The lender’s valuation is not a survey. It protects the lender, not you. A survey by a qualified surveyor reports on the condition of the property, including damp, subsidence, roof defects and other faults. Its cost is usually small compared with the cost of putting right a structural problem.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) sets three levels of home survey:
- RICS Home Survey Level 1 (formerly a Condition Report): a basic report on condition, best suited to conventionally built, modern homes in good condition. It notes defects but does not generally advise on repairs.
- RICS Home Survey Level 2 (formerly a HomeBuyer Report): a fuller inspection, including the roof space and drainage chambers, with some advice on repairs and maintenance. It is available with or without a market valuation.
- RICS Home Survey Level 3 (formerly a Building Survey): the most detailed inspection, with advice on defects, repairs and maintenance options. It suits larger, older or altered homes, unusual buildings and any property where you plan major works.
If the survey reveals significant problems, you can ask the seller to repair them or reduce the price. Our guide on how to negotiate the house price after a survey explains how to approach this.
Step 10: Arrange buildings insurance
Buildings insurance pays to repair or rebuild the property if it is damaged or destroyed. Your lender will require it as a condition of the mortgage. Arrange cover to start on the day you exchange contracts, because from that point you are legally committed to the purchase. Contents insurance can start on the day you move in.
If you are buying a leasehold flat, the building is usually insured by the freeholder or managing agent and you contribute through the service charge; your conveyancer will confirm the arrangement. If you are buying a new build home, the developer may insure it until completion, but check this with your conveyancer.
Step 11: Exchange contracts
Before you sign the contract, go through it with your conveyancer. Check that the details are correct and that you understand any issues raised by the searches and survey. Check also that the fixtures and fittings the seller has agreed to leave are listed. Raise any remaining questions now.
At exchange, the conveyancers swap signed contracts and you pay the deposit through your conveyancer. The completion date is fixed in the contract. From this point both you and the seller are legally bound. If you withdraw after exchange, you can lose your deposit.
Step 12: Book a removal company
Once you know your completion date, obtain quotes from at least three removal companies. The price depends on the volume of belongings, the size of the crew, whether you want the company to pack for you and the distance of the move. Read independent reviews and confirm that the company is properly insured. Professional packing protects fragile items in transit.
Step 13: Completion
Completion is the day the property becomes yours. Your lender releases the mortgage funds to your conveyancer, who transfers the balance of the price to the seller’s conveyancer. When the seller’s conveyancer confirms receipt, the estate agent releases the keys. Keys are usually released around midday, but this depends on how quickly the money moves through the chain. Our guide to what happens on completion day covers the day in detail.
Step 14: Pay stamp duty or Land Transaction Tax
In England, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is charged in slices of the price. For a home that will be your only residential property, the rates are 0% up to £125,000, 2% from £125,001 to £250,000, 5% from £250,001 to £925,000, 10% from £925,001 to £1.5 million and 12% above £1.5 million. First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% from £300,001 to £500,000; the relief is lost entirely above £500,000. Buyers of an additional home usually pay 5% on top of every band. Buyers who are not UK resident pay a further 2%.
As an example, a home mover buying at the UK average house price of £272,611 (HM Land Registry, July 2026) would pay £3,630.55: nothing on the first £125,000, £2,500 on the next £125,000 and £1,130.55 on the remaining £22,611. A first-time buyer would pay nothing at that price.
In Wales, Land Transaction Tax (LTT) replaces stamp duty. The main rates are 0% up to £225,000, 6% from £225,001 to £400,000, 7.5% from £400,001 to £750,000, 10% from £750,001 to £1.5 million and 12% above that. There is no first-time buyer relief in Wales.
Your conveyancer normally files the return and pays the tax on completion from funds you provide. The SDLT return is due within 14 days of completion. The LTT return is due within 30 days of the day after completion. Our guide to everything you need to know about stamp duty sets out the full rules and worked examples.
Step 15: Registration at HM Land Registry
After completion, your conveyancer applies to HM Land Registry to register you as the new owner and, if you have a mortgage, to record your lender’s charge against the property. When registration is complete, the title register shows you as the owner. Your conveyancer will send you a copy.
How long does buying a house take?
There is no fixed timescale. Finding the right home can take weeks or many months. Once an offer is accepted, the conveyancing usually takes the longest. The total time depends on the length of the chain, the speed of the searches and the mortgage offer and any problems the survey raises. Completion often follows two to four weeks after exchange, although it can take place on the same day if everyone in the chain agrees.
Buying a new build home
A new build home has never been lived in. You may buy it off plan before it is built. You may also be able to choose some of the fixtures and fittings. You often deal with the developer’s own sales team rather than an estate agent. If the home is not yet finished, completion takes place when it is ready, so the wait can be longer than for an existing home. Have the home inspected before completion so that any defects can be put right by the developer.
Buying a house in Scotland
The process in Scotland is different. Offers are usually made through a solicitor and sellers provide a Home Report. The contract is formed through an exchange of letters called missives. Scotland also has its own tax, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. Read our guide on how to buy a house in Scotland for the details.
If you have a home to sell before you buy, an agreed sale makes your offer stronger. Compare local estate agents’ fees, services and track records free on easyProperty. Read our guide to estate agent fees to see what you should expect to pay.
