Conveyancing for First-Time Buyers: Essential Steps to Navigate the Process

Buying your first home is exciting… and also a bit surreal. One minute you’re browsing Rightmove at midnight, the next you’re being asked for ID, mortgage paperwork, and a dozen signatures you didn’t know existed.

Conveyancing is the legal process that makes your purchase real. It is how ownership transfers from the seller to you, and it is where most of the “boring but crucial” details get checked: title, searches, contract terms, mortgage conditions, and anything that could cause you problems after you move in.

This guide walks you through the process in a clear, practical way—so you know what happens, what you need to do, and how to avoid the usual delays. If you want support from the start, Athi Law’s Conveyancing Solicitors Sheffield page explains how the team helps first-time buyers through each stage.

Step 1: Get your basics sorted before you offer

You do not need to have everything perfect before you view properties, but you will move faster (and feel calmer) if you prepare a few essentials early.

Get a Decision in Principle (DIP)

A DIP shows estate agents and sellers you’re serious and gives you a realistic price range. It also helps you spot affordability issues early, before you pay for surveys or searches.

Build a budget that includes the “hidden” costs

First-time buyers often focus on the deposit and forget the extras. Your overall budget may include:

• Conveyancing legal fees and VAT

• Searches and disbursements

• Survey fees

• Mortgage arrangement/valuation fees (depends on lender/product)

• Removal costs and immediate “new home” spending (locks, small repairs, etc.)

A handy starting point is Athi Law’s guide: Conveyancing Costs Explained.

Know your likely deposit pressure

A Nationwide affordability report noted that a 10% deposit on a typical UK first-time buyer property is around £23,000, and it can take years to save depending on income and region. 

Step 2: Instruct your conveyancing solicitor early

Once your offer is accepted, you want your solicitor lined up immediately—ideally before, if you can. Early instruction means:

• Your ID and source of funds checks are done upfront

• Your file is opened and ready the moment the memorandum of sale arrives

• Searches can be requested sooner

• You reduce the “dead time” that drags transactions out

If you want a checklist for your first call, use: How to Prepare for Your First Meeting with a Conveyancing Solicitor.

Step 3: Understand the realistic timeline (so you don’t panic)

A straightforward purchase with no chain can move quickly, but in the real world, most transactions take time. A commonly quoted average is around 12 weeks, and chains, leaseholds, and slow replies can extend it. 

Also, it’s worth knowing this: fall-throughs are still a big issue in England and Wales, which is why steady progress matters. TwentyCi reported that fall-throughs in 2025 ran into the hundreds of thousands over the year. 

So your goal is not “rush at all costs.” Your goal is: move quickly where you can, and protect yourself where you must.

Step 4: The memorandum of sale and your solicitor’s opening pack

After your offer is accepted, the estate agent issues a memorandum of sale to both solicitors. Your solicitor will then send you:

• A client care letter (terms, fees, and what’s included)

• Request for ID (passport/driving licence)

• Source of funds evidence (bank statements, gifted deposit letters, etc.)

• Initial forms and questionnaires (where relevant)

This is the part many people delay because it feels admin-heavy. But your quickest win as a first-time buyer is simple: turn paperwork around fast.

Step 5: Title checks and contract pack

The seller’s solicitor sends your solicitor the draft contract pack, including:

• Draft contract

• Title register and title plan

• Property information forms (and fittings/contents form)

• Lease documents if it’s leasehold

Your solicitor reviews this to check:

• The seller can legally sell

• Boundaries and access rights make sense

• Any restrictions or covenants won’t cause issues

• There are no nasty surprises (like missing rights of way)

If you’re unsure what your solicitor actually does day-to-day, Athi Law explains it plainly here: The Role of a Conveyancer.

Step 6: Searches (what they are and why they matter)

Searches are enquiries made to authorities and data providers to uncover issues that aren’t obvious from viewing the property. Most purchases include:

• Local authority search (planning, building control, road schemes, etc.)

• Drainage and water search

• Environmental search

• Optional extras depending on location (flood risk, mining, chancel repair, etc.)

Search delays are a common bottleneck. That’s why it helps to instruct early and pay for searches promptly once requested.

If you want a bigger-picture overview of how these stages fit together, Athi Law’s guide to Understanding the Conveyancing Process is a useful companion read.

Step 7: Enquiries (this is where the detail gets cleared up)

Once your solicitor reviews the contract pack and search results, they raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitor.

Enquiries can cover things like:

• Proof of building regulations sign-off for works

• Guarantees (windows, damp proofing, boiler, roof works)

• Clarifying boundaries, access, shared driveways

• Leasehold management information (service charges, ground rent, major works)

This stage often feels slow because it depends on the seller, their solicitor, and sometimes a managing agent. The best thing you can do is respond quickly when your solicitor asks you questions, and keep your mortgage side moving too.

Step 8: Mortgage offer and lender requirements

Your mortgage offer is not just a bank saying “yes.” It is also a set of conditions that your solicitor must follow before completion.

Your solicitor will:

• Check the mortgage offer details

• Ensure the property meets lender requirements

• Report to the lender where needed

• Arrange for mortgage funds to be requested in time for completion

Athi Law breaks this down clearly here: Understanding Mortgage Offers and Their Role in Conveyancing.

If you need independent support on mortgage-related legal documentation, you can also look at Independent Legal Advice Mortgage.

Step 9: Survey and valuation (don’t confuse them)

Your lender’s valuation is for the lender, not for you. It checks if the property is worth roughly what you’re paying, but it won’t necessarily flag problems you would want to know about.

A survey is for you. Depending on the property type and age, you might consider:

• Homebuyer Report

• Building Survey (often for older or altered properties)

If a survey flags issues, your solicitor can often help you think through legal angles (documentation, guarantees, permissions), while you decide if you want to renegotiate or walk away.

Step 10: Leasehold vs freehold (why it changes the process)

If you’re buying a leasehold, expect additional steps. Leasehold transactions can involve:

• Reviewing the lease terms (length, ground rent, restrictions)

• Service charge and management information

• Buildings insurance arrangements

• Any planned major works

Leasehold isn’t “bad,” but it needs careful review because it affects your running costs and your future saleability.

Athi Law explains this in plain English here: Conveyancing for Leasehold vs Freehold Properties.

Step 11: Exchange of contracts (this is when it becomes legally binding)

Before exchange, your solicitor will make sure you have:

• Satisfactory search results (or acceptable risk decisions)

• Replies to enquiries you can live with

• Your mortgage offer in place

• Buildings insurance ready (often required from exchange)

• Deposit funds available (usually 10%, sometimes negotiated)

When you exchange contracts:

• You are legally committed to buy

• The completion date is fixed

• Pulling out usually means financial penalties

This is why a good solicitor doesn’t rush an exchange just to “get it done.” They exchange when the legal position is right.

Step 12: Completion day (the big moment)

On completion day:

• Your solicitor sends the purchase funds to the seller’s solicitor

• The seller’s solicitor confirms receipt

• The estate agent releases the keys

You then move in—usually with a mix of adrenaline and exhaustion.

Step 13: Post-completion (what happens after you’ve moved in)

Even after you get the keys, legal work continues. Your solicitor handles:

• Submitting your Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) return (if applicable)

• Paying SDLT (if due)

• Registering you as owner at HM Land Registry

First-time buyer SDLT relief (England and Northern Ireland)

If you’re eligible, government guidance says you pay:

• 0% SDLT up to £300,000

• 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000

• No relief if the price is over £500,000

Land Registry timing

Registration times vary a lot depending on the type of application. HM Land Registry publishes processing time guidance and notes that some categories (like first registrations or new leases) can take months.

The key reassurance: you can live in the property from completion. Registration is the formal record update.

How to keep your purchase moving (without being pushy)

If you want to reduce delays, focus on what you control:

• Instruct early and return paperwork quickly

• Send ID and source of funds evidence in one go

• Respond to solicitor enquiries the same day where possible

• Book your survey quickly after offer acceptance

• Keep your mortgage application moving (chase documents and broker/lender requests)

Athi Law shares practical ways to reduce avoidable delays here: How to Speed Up Your Property Transaction.

If you’re still choosing a firm, this guide helps you compare properly: How to Choose the Right Conveyancing Firm.

What first-time buyers worry about most (quick answers)

How much will it cost me in total?

It depends on property type and complexity. You should budget for legal fees, searches, Land Registry fees, survey costs, mortgage fees (if any), and SDLT if applicable. Start with Exploring the Costs Involved in Conveyancing.

What if something comes up in the searches?

That’s exactly why searches exist. Your solicitor will explain the risk and your options (for example, further enquiries, indemnity insurance, or renegotiation).

Why does everything feel so slow?

Because multiple parties are involved, and some steps rely on third parties (local authorities, managing agents, lenders). Averages of 8–12 weeks are common even for straightforward matters.

Next steps

If you’re buying your first home and you want the legal side handled properly—without jargon, drama, or unnecessary delays—Athi Law can guide you through every stage, from offer acceptance to completion.

Start by visiting Conveyancing Solicitors Sheffield to see how the team works, or message the team directly via Contact us. If you’d like to understand the firm a little more first, you can also read About Us.