Buying your first home is exciting — and, in equal measure, unfamiliar. Between the estate agent, the lender, and the legal side, it isn’t always clear who does what, or when.
This is a plain-English walk through the conveyancing process, so you know what your solicitor is doing on your behalf at each stage.
From sale agreed to the keys in your hand, your solicitor is with you at every step.
The legal steps
Once you go sale agreed, the conveyancing process begins. It follows a well-established sequence, and while timings vary, the stages are consistent.
We review the contract for sale and the title, raise queries with the seller’s solicitor, and advise you before you sign.
We carry out the searches that confirm there are no issues affecting the property before completion.
We work with your lender to satisfy their conditions and draw down the loan funds in time for closing.
Funds are exchanged, documents are completed, and the property is transferred into your name.
The Help to Buy scheme
If you are a first-time buyer of a new home, the Help to Buy scheme may put a significant sum toward your deposit. It is best started early, before you go sale agreed, so the timing lines up with your purchase.
Stamp duty, legal fees, searches, and registration all sit alongside the price of the home. We set these out clearly at the start so there are no surprises at closing.
How Oak Legal helps
You’ll deal directly with Jason Burke from sale agreed to completion — keeping you informed at each stage, and making sure your first home purchase goes through cleanly.