First-Time Buyer Conveyancing
Conveyancing for First-Time Buyers
Buying your first home is exciting, but the legal process can feel unfamiliar when you have never been through it before. From property searches and mortgage requirements to contracts, exchange and completion, there are several stages to work through before you can collect the keys.
An experienced conveyancer will guide you through the legal side of your purchase, explain what you need to do and help keep your transaction moving towards completion.
At Trusted Conveyancers, we’ve done the hard work, so you don’t have to, helping you find carefully selected conveyancing firms you can use with confidence.
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What Does a Conveyancer Do for a First-Time Buyer?
Your conveyancer is responsible for the legal work involved in transferring ownership of the property into your name.
Once your offer has been accepted and you have instructed your conveyancer, they will communicate with the seller’s conveyancer, review the contract and legal title, arrange the appropriate property searches and raise enquiries about anything requiring further information.
If you are buying with a mortgage, your conveyancer will usually also act for your mortgage lender and make sure the lender’s legal requirements are satisfied before completion.
Once the necessary legal work has been completed, your conveyancer will report to you on the property and arrange for contracts to be signed and exchanged. They will then deal with the transfer of funds on completion and the legal formalities required afterwards.
For a first-time buyer, your conveyancer is also an important source of guidance. You should be able to ask questions and understand what is happening rather than feeling that you are simply being sent documents to sign.
For a broader overview of the legal process involved in purchasing property, visit our Buying Conveyancing guide.
The First-Time Buyer Conveyancing Process
Although every purchase is different, most first-time buyers will go through a similar series of stages.
Stage |
What Happens |
What You Need to Do |
|---|---|---|
|
Offer Accepted |
The estate agent confirms the agreed purchase and details are sent to the conveyancers. |
Instruct your conveyancer and provide their details to the estate agent. |
|
Mortgage & Initial Checks |
Your mortgage application progresses and your conveyancer completes identification and other initial checks. |
Provide requested documents promptly and progress your mortgage application. |
|
Contract Pack |
The seller’s conveyancer sends the contract, title information and supporting documents to your conveyancer. |
Usually nothing immediately, although your conveyancer may ask you for further information. |
|
Searches & Enquiries |
Property searches are carried out and your conveyancer raises enquiries about the property and legal documentation. |
Respond promptly if your conveyancer needs information or decisions from you. |
|
Report & Signing |
Once the legal work is sufficiently progressed, your conveyancer reports to you and arranges for the necessary documents to be signed. |
Read the information carefully, ask about anything you don’t understand and sign the required documents. |
|
Exchange of Contracts |
Contracts are exchanged and a completion date is agreed. The purchase normally becomes legally binding at this point. |
Make sure your deposit and any other required funds are available and start finalising your move. |
|
Completion |
Purchase funds are transferred to the seller’s conveyancer and the purchase completes. |
Collect your keys and move into your new home. |
|
After Completion |
Your conveyancer deals with the relevant post-completion formalities, including registration of your ownership. |
There is usually little for you to do unless your conveyancer requests further information. |
What Should You Do After Your Offer Is Accepted?
Having an offer accepted can feel like the moment you have bought the property, but there is still important work to complete before the purchase becomes legally binding.
One of your first jobs should be to instruct a conveyancer so that the legal work can begin.
You will also normally need to progress your mortgage application if you are borrowing to purchase the property and consider whether you want an independent property survey.
Your conveyancer will need information from you as part of their initial checks. This can include identification, details of your purchase and information about where the money you are contributing towards the purchase has come from.
How Much Does First-Time Buyer Conveyancing Cost?
There is no single conveyancing price that applies to every first-time buyer.
The amount you pay can depend on factors including the purchase price, whether the property is freehold or leasehold and whether additional legal work is required.
Your quotation may contain both the conveyancer’s own legal fees and payments made to third parties as part of the transaction, commonly referred to as disbursements.
A clear conveyancing quotation should explain what is included and identify circumstances in which additional charges could apply. Learn More: Conveyancing Costs →
Potential Cost |
What It Covers |
|---|---|
|
Legal Fee |
The conveyancer’s charge for carrying out the legal work involved in your purchase. |
|
Property Searches |
Searches providing information about the property and surrounding area. |
|
HM Land Registry Fees |
Fees associated with obtaining certain information and registering your ownership following completion. |
|
Bank Transfer Fees |
Charges that may apply when transferring purchase funds. |
|
Additional Legal Work |
Extra work that may be required for leasehold, new-build, shared ownership or other transactions. |
|
Property Transaction Tax |
Depending on the property, purchase price, location and your circumstances, a property transaction tax may be payable. |
The legal work can also differ depending on the property you choose. See our guides to Buying a House Conveyancing and Buying a Flat Conveyancing for more detailed information.
If you’re purchasing your first home through a shared ownership scheme, our Shared Ownership Conveyancing guide explains the lease, rent, service charges, mortgage and other legal considerations involved.
Do First-Time Buyers Need Property Searches?
Property searches are an important part of the conveyancing process when buying a home.
Your conveyancer will normally arrange a set of searches appropriate to the property and the requirements of any mortgage lender. These can provide information that may not be apparent simply from viewing the property.
Depending on the property and its location, searches may provide information relating to matters such as the local authority, drainage and water arrangements and environmental issues.
If a search identifies something requiring further investigation, your conveyancer may raise additional enquiries before advising you on the purchase.
Property Searches and Surveys Are Not the Same Thing
This can be particularly confusing when you’re buying your first home.
Conveyancing searches and property surveys perform different jobs.
Property Searches |
Property Survey |
|---|---|
|
Usually arranged through your conveyancer |
Usually arranged separately by the buyer |
|
Investigate information affecting the property and location |
Examines the physical condition of the property |
|
May identify planning, environmental, drainage and other matters |
May identify defects, repairs and maintenance issues |
|
Form part of the legal due-diligence process |
Helps you understand the property’s physical condition |
|
Can reveal issues requiring further legal enquiries |
Can reveal defects that may require further investigation or repairs |
|
Do not replace a property survey |
Does not replace conveyancing searches |
Your mortgage lender may also arrange a valuation. A lender’s valuation is primarily carried out for the lender’s purposes and should not automatically be regarded as a detailed survey of the property’s condition.
Buying Your First Home With a Mortgage
Most first-time buyers purchase their home with the help of a mortgage.
Your mortgage lender has its own legal interest in the transaction, and your conveyancer will usually need to satisfy the lender’s requirements as well as carrying out the legal work for you.
Once your formal mortgage offer has been issued, your conveyancer will review the relevant documentation and deal with the lender’s legal requirements before completion.
It is therefore important to check that your chosen conveyancer is able to act for your mortgage lender. If they cannot, another firm may need to become involved, potentially adding cost and complexity to the transaction.
When Do First-Time Buyers Pay Their Deposit?
The word deposit can cause confusion because it may be used at different stages of buying a property.
You may have already paid a small reservation or holding amount in certain circumstances, but the contractual deposit is associated with exchange of contracts.
Before exchange, your conveyancer will tell you how much money they require from you and when it needs to be transferred.
If you are receiving financial help towards your purchase, such as a gifted deposit from a family member, tell your conveyancer and mortgage lender as early as possible. Additional information and checks may be required.
Never send significant sums of money using bank details received unexpectedly by email without independently checking those details with your conveyancer using a trusted method of contact.
When Does a First-Time Buyer Become Legally Committed?
In a standard property purchase in England and Wales, the transaction normally becomes legally binding when contracts are exchanged.
Before exchange, either buyer or seller can generally withdraw from the transaction, although they may still lose money they have already spent on matters such as searches, surveys, mortgage applications or legal work.
After exchange, the position changes significantly. Both parties are contractually committed to the transaction, and withdrawing can have serious financial and legal consequences.
Your conveyancer should therefore make sure you understand the position before you authorise exchange of contracts.
Common First-Time Buyer Conveyancing Mistakes
Being prepared can help you avoid some of the problems that commonly cause confusion or unnecessary delays.
Common Mistake |
Why It Matters |
|---|---|
|
Waiting to instruct a conveyancer |
The legal work cannot properly get underway until your conveyancer has been instructed and completed their initial requirements. |
|
Taking too long to provide documents |
Missing identification, financial information or signed documents can hold up progress. |
|
Confusing searches with a survey |
Searches generally investigate legal/location information; a survey considers the physical condition of the property. |
|
Assuming the mortgage valuation is a survey |
The lender’s valuation is primarily for the lender rather than a comprehensive assessment of the property’s condition. |
|
Not mentioning gifted funds early |
Your conveyancer and mortgage lender may require additional information about gifted deposits. |
|
Moving purchase funds unexpectedly |
Your conveyancer may need to establish and document the source of funds used for your purchase. |
|
Making firm moving arrangements too early |
Until contracts have been exchanged, the transaction is not normally legally binding. |
|
Being afraid to ask questions |
This is your first purchase. If you don’t understand something your conveyancer has told you, ask them to explain it. |
How Long Does First-Time Buyer Conveyancing Take?
Being a first-time buyer does not automatically mean your conveyancing will be quicker, although not having a property to sell can remove one potential complication.
A straightforward purchase might progress relatively quickly, while other transactions can take considerably longer.
The overall timescale can be affected by property searches, mortgage arrangements, conveyancing enquiries, the type of property and whether the seller is involved in an onward property chain.
Leasehold properties and new-build purchases can also involve additional documentation and legal work.
If your first home is a newly built property, our New Build Conveyancing guide explains the additional legal work that can be involved.
Rather than focusing on a guaranteed completion date, it is usually more helpful to understand which stage your purchase has reached and whether anything is currently outstanding.
What Can Delay a First-Time Buyer’s Purchase?
Some delays are outside your control, but understanding the common causes can make the process less frustrating.
Property searches may take longer than expected or reveal matters requiring further investigation.
Conveyancing enquiries may remain outstanding while your conveyancer waits for satisfactory information or documentation from the seller.
Mortgage arrangements can delay matters if the formal offer or lender requirements are not ready.
Property chains can affect you even though you have nothing to sell. Your seller may be buying another property, and their purchase may depend on other transactions further along the chain.
Leasehold and other complex properties can require information from freeholders, managing agents or other third parties.
Responding quickly when your conveyancer, mortgage lender or estate agent needs something from you can at least help prevent delays on your side of the transaction.
What Happens on Completion Day?
Completion is the day you finally become the legal owner of your new home.
Your conveyancer arranges for the purchase money to be transferred to the seller’s conveyancer. Once the seller’s conveyancer confirms that the required funds have been received, completion can take place and the estate agent can normally release the keys.
There is no guaranteed time at which this will happen, so don’t panic if you aren’t collecting the keys first thing in the morning.
After completion, your conveyancer will deal with the necessary post-completion legal formalities, including registering your ownership of the property.
First-Time Buyer: Quick Answers
Why Choosing the Right Conveyancer Matters
A property transaction often involves conveyancers, estate agents, mortgage brokers, lenders and other professionals working together. Good communication between everyone involved can make a significant difference to how smoothly the transaction progresses towards exchange and completion.
At Trusted Conveyancers, we’ve done the hard work, so you don’t have to. Rather than spending hours comparing firms yourself, we’ve carefully assessed the conveyancing firms we recommend based on communication, service standards, transparency and professionalism, so you can choose with confidence.
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