Property Buyers Checklist
Property Buyer’s Conveyancing Checklist
Buying a property involves a significant amount of paperwork, financial preparation and communication between you, your conveyancer, your mortgage lender and other parties.
Being organised from the outset can help prevent avoidable delays. Use this checklist to keep track of the documents, information and actions you may need throughout your purchase.
Important: Every transaction is different. Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer may request additional information or documents depending on your circumstances and the property you are buying.
Stage 1: As Soon as Your Offer Is Accepted
Documents and information to prepare
☐ Proof of identity
Have a valid passport or driving licence available, as requested by your conveyancer.
☐ Proof of address
Prepare recent documents that meet your conveyancer's identification requirements.
☐ National Insurance number and tax information
Your conveyancer may require personal and tax-related information when preparing transaction documentation.
☐ Details of the property
Provide the full address, agreed purchase price and estate agent's details.
☐ Seller's details, if known
Provide any information you have about the seller or their conveyancer.
☐ Mortgage details
If you are obtaining a mortgage, provide your lender's details, mortgage adviser or broker's details and your mortgage application or offer information when available.
☐ Details of anyone buying with you
Your conveyancer will need information about every purchaser.
Financial information to prepare
☐ Evidence of your deposit
Be ready to show where your deposit is coming from.
☐ Evidence of source of funds
Your conveyancer may ask for bank statements and other documentation showing how the money for the purchase has accumulated.
☐ Evidence of source of wealth, if requested
Depending on your circumstances and the transaction, additional evidence may be required.
☐ Gifted deposit information
If a family member or another person is contributing towards the purchase, tell your conveyancer and mortgage lender at the earliest opportunity.
☐ Help from another source
Tell your conveyancer about any Lifetime ISA funds, inheritance, sale proceeds or other funding arrangements relevant to the purchase.
Actions
☐ Formally instruct your solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
☐ Return their initial paperwork promptly.
☐ Complete identification and anti-money laundering checks.
☐ Pay any requested money on account for searches or initial costs.
☐ Submit or progress your mortgage application.
☐ Tell your conveyancer immediately about any target completion date.
Delay-prevention tip
Do not wait until exchange to explain where your money is coming from. Source-of-funds checks can take time, particularly where money has moved between accounts, comes from overseas, represents a gift or has accumulated from several different sources.
Stage 2: Mortgage and Financial Arrangements
Documents and information to prepare
Depending on your lender, you may need:
☐ Payslips
☐ Bank statements
☐ Proof of employment or income
☐ Accounts or tax documents if self-employed
☐ Evidence of your deposit
☐ Details of loans, credit commitments and other liabilities
☐ Identification and address documentation
☐ Gifted-deposit documentation, where applicable
Actions
☐ Submit your mortgage application promptly.
☐ Respond quickly to requests from your lender or broker.
☐ Arrange the lender's valuation where required.
☐ Check the mortgage offer carefully when issued.
☐ Send your conveyancer a copy if they have not received one directly.
☐ Tell your conveyancer about any special conditions attached to the mortgage.
Delay-prevention tip
Avoid making significant changes to your financial circumstances without considering the potential effect on your mortgage. Taking out substantial new credit, changing employment or changing the source of your deposit during the transaction could affect your lender's decision.
Stage 3: Contract Pack and Title Investigation
The seller's conveyancer will send your conveyancer the draft contract and supporting property documentation.
Information you should give your conveyancer
Tell your conveyancer about anything you noticed when viewing the property that you would like investigated, including:
☐ Extensions or structural alterations
☐ Loft or garage conversions
☐ Conservatories
☐ Solar panels
☐ Shared driveways
☐ Private or shared roads
☐ Unusual boundaries
☐ Rights of way
☐ Parking arrangements
☐ Access through neighbouring land
☐ Signs of neighbouring development
☐ Anything the seller or estate agent has specifically promised you
For leasehold properties
Make sure you understand that additional information may be required concerning:
☐ The lease
☐ Remaining lease term
☐ Ground rent provisions
☐ Service charges
☐ Planned major works
☐ Building insurance arrangements
☐ Management company or managing agent
☐ Restrictions affecting the property
☐ Requirements that must be satisfied when ownership changes
Delay-prevention tip
Tell your conveyancer about concerns early. Do not assume that something you discussed with the estate agent will automatically be communicated to your conveyancer.
Stage 4: Searches
Your conveyancer will advise which searches are appropriate for the property.
These commonly include:
☐ Local authority search
☐ Drainage and water search
☐ Environmental search
Depending on the property and its location, additional searches or investigations may be recommended.
Actions
☐ Pay search fees promptly where required.
☐ Read the search results or your conveyancer's report on them.
☐ Ask questions about anything you do not understand.
☐ Consider whether any result affects your intended use of the property.
Questions to consider
Are you planning to:
☐ Extend the property?
☐ Carry out major alterations?
☐ Run a business from home?
☐ Let the property?
☐ Change its use?
☐ Carry out substantial building works?
Tell your conveyancer about your plans. Matters that are unimportant to one buyer may be significant to another.
Delay-prevention tip
Do not postpone searches simply because you want to save money if your conveyancer or lender requires them. Waiting until later to order searches can add unnecessary time to the transaction.
Stage 5: Survey and Physical Inspection
A conveyancer investigates the legal aspects of the property. They do not normally assess its physical condition.
Actions
☐ Decide what type of survey is appropriate.
☐ Instruct a suitably qualified surveyor.
☐ Arrange access through the estate agent where necessary.
☐ Read the survey carefully.
☐ Identify recommendations requiring further investigation.
☐ Obtain specialist reports or quotations where appropriate.
Pay particular attention to issues involving
☐ Roof condition
☐ Damp
☐ Subsidence or structural movement
☐ Electrical installations
☐ Heating systems
☐ Drainage
☐ Timber problems
☐ Extensions and alterations
☐ Boundaries
☐ Asbestos or other potentially hazardous materials
Important
A mortgage valuation is primarily intended to assist the lender in assessing the property as security for its loan. It should not automatically be treated as a substitute for a survey undertaken for your benefit.
Delay-prevention tip
Arrange your survey relatively early. If it reveals a significant problem shortly before exchange, the transaction may need to be delayed while the problem is investigated.
Stage 6: Enquiries
Your conveyancer may raise enquiries with the seller's conveyancer after reviewing the title, contract documentation, searches and other available information.
Your checklist
☐ Respond promptly if your conveyancer asks you a question.
☐ Read important responses provided by the seller.
☐ Tell your conveyancer if an answer conflicts with something you observed or were told.
☐ Make sure important concerns are addressed before exchange.
Matters that may require investigation include
☐ Planning permissions
☐ Building regulations
☐ Alterations and extensions
☐ Rights of way
☐ Restrictive covenants
☐ Boundaries
☐ Guarantees and warranties
☐ Access arrangements
☐ Private roads
☐ Shared facilities
☐ Leasehold obligations
☐ Service charges
☐ Management arrangements
Delay-prevention tip
Some enquiries depend on third parties such as managing agents, freeholders or local authorities. Leasehold transactions can therefore involve additional stages. If you are buying leasehold, factor this possibility into your timescale.
Stage 7: Before Exchange of Contracts
This is a crucial checkpoint. Once contracts are exchanged, you will normally be legally committed to completing the purchase.
Before authorising exchange, check that:
☐ You have received and read your conveyancer's report.
☐ You understand the legal title to the property.
☐ You are satisfied with the search results.
☐ You are satisfied with your survey and any follow-up investigations.
☐ Important enquiries have been dealt with satisfactorily.
☐ Your mortgage offer is in place if required.
☐ You understand the mortgage conditions.
☐ Your deposit is available.
☐ Your conveyancer has explained how and when the deposit should be transferred.
☐ You have agreed a completion date.
☐ You can provide the remaining purchase funds when required.
☐ You have made appropriate buildings insurance arrangements from the date advised by your conveyancer.
☐ You have checked what fixtures, fittings and contents are included in the purchase.
☐ You understand any important restrictions or obligations affecting the property.
Never transfer money solely because of an unexpected email
Property transactions can be targeted by payment-diversion fraud.
If you receive an email telling you that your conveyancer's bank details have changed, do not transfer money until you have independently verified the instructions with your conveyancer using trusted contact details.
Follow your conveyancer's specific security procedures whenever transferring substantial sums.
Delay-prevention tip
Have your deposit funds accessible well before exchange. Large transfers can be subject to banking limits or security checks, so find out in advance how your bank handles substantial payments.
Stage 8: Between Exchange and Completion
Once contracts have been exchanged, the completion date will normally be fixed.
Money
☐ Check your completion statement.
☐ Confirm how much money you need to provide.
☐ Transfer funds by your conveyancer's deadline.
☐ Check your bank's transfer limits beforehand.
☐ Make sure mortgage funds are being requested where applicable.
Moving arrangements
☐ Confirm removals.
☐ Arrange utilities.
☐ Arrange broadband or telecommunications if required.
☐ Update relevant organisations with your new address.
☐ Arrange appropriate insurance.
☐ Organise time away from work if needed.
☐ Prepare for key collection.
Property arrangements
☐ Confirm arrangements for keys with the estate agent.
☐ Consider arranging a final viewing before completion.
☐ Check that the property's condition is consistent with your expectations and contractual arrangements.
Delay-prevention tip
Do not leave the transfer of your completion money until completion morning. Follow the deadline given by your conveyancer so that cleared funds are available when needed.
Stage 9: Completion Day
On completion day, your conveyancer will arrange for the purchase money to be sent to the seller's conveyancer.
Your checklist
☐ Keep your phone available.
☐ Wait for confirmation that completion has taken place before assuming you can enter the property.
☐ Collect the keys when authorised.
☐ Take meter readings when you arrive.
☐ Check the property.
☐ Keep important documents relating to the property safely.
If something appears wrong
Contact your conveyancer promptly if you discover an issue that may relate to the contractual arrangements for the purchase.
Stage 10: After Completion
Your conveyancer will usually deal with the legal post-completion formalities.
These may include:
☐ Submitting any required Stamp Duty Land Tax return.
☐ Paying Stamp Duty Land Tax from funds provided, where applicable.
☐ Applying to HM Land Registry to register your ownership.
☐ Registering your lender's mortgage where applicable.
☐ Dealing with relevant leasehold notices or other post-completion requirements.
Your actions
☐ Keep your completion statement.
☐ Keep your mortgage documents.
☐ Retain guarantees, warranties and certificates relating to the property.
☐ Keep records of significant improvements you make.
☐ Keep planning permissions and building regulations documentation for future work.
☐ Confirm that registration has been completed when your conveyancer reports back to you.
Delay-prevention tip
HM Land Registry registration can sometimes take considerably longer than the conveyancing transaction itself. A delay in registration does not necessarily mean that there is a problem, but keep the final registration documentation supplied by your conveyancer.
Quick-Reference: Your Essential Buyer File
Creating one electronic folder for the transaction can make the process much easier. Consider keeping copies of:
☐ Passport/driving licence and required identification documents
☐ Proof of address
☐ Bank statements and source-of-funds evidence
☐ Deposit evidence
☐ Gifted-deposit documents
☐ Mortgage application and mortgage offer
☐ Estate agent correspondence
☐ Conveyancer correspondence
☐ Property particulars
☐ Survey and specialist reports
☐ Quotations for significant repairs
☐ Search reports
☐ Contract and title documents supplied to you
☐ Fixtures and fittings information
☐ Lease and leasehold information, if applicable
☐ Buildings insurance information
☐ Completion statement
☐ Stamp Duty Land Tax documentation provided to you
☐ Final HM Land Registry documentation
10 Ways to Avoid Common Conveyancing Delays
1. Instruct your conveyancer early.
Do not wait until the rest of the transaction is underway.
2. Complete identity and source-of-funds checks immediately.
Missing financial evidence can prevent the transaction from progressing.
3. Apply for your mortgage promptly.
A delay obtaining a mortgage offer can delay exchange.
4. Declare gifted deposits and unusual funding arrangements early.
Your lender and conveyancer may need additional documentation.
5. Arrange your survey early enough to investigate problems.
Do not discover major physical issues immediately before exchange.
6. Respond to emails and requests promptly.
Even a simple unanswered question can hold up the next stage.
7. Tell your conveyancer about your plans for the property.
Your intended extension, letting arrangement or other use may affect the legal advice you need.
8. Do not book removals or make irreversible arrangements too early.
A proposed completion date is not necessarily guaranteed before exchange of contracts.
9. Prepare large bank transfers in advance.
Check transfer limits, clearance times and your conveyancer's payment instructions.
10. Ask questions before exchange — not afterwards.
Exchange is normally the point at which the purchase becomes legally binding. Make sure you understand the important legal and financial aspects of the transaction before authorising your conveyancer to proceed.
Final Buyer Check Before Exchange
Before saying “Yes, I am ready to exchange”, ask yourself:
☐ Am I satisfied with the property's physical condition?
☐ Have I read my conveyancer's report?
☐ Do I understand the searches and important enquiries?
☐ Is my mortgage funding confirmed?
☐ Do I have the deposit available?
☐ Do I understand exactly what I am buying?
☐ Do I understand any significant rights, restrictions or obligations affecting the property?
☐ Am I satisfied with the agreed completion date?
☐ Have I arranged insurance from the date advised?
☐ Have I asked every important question I wanted answered?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, raise the issue with your conveyancer before authorising exchange.
This checklist provides general information for residential property purchases in England and Wales. It does not constitute legal, tax, financial or surveying advice. The documents and steps required will vary according to the property, your circumstances, your mortgage lender and the particular transaction.
This could also work particularly well as a downloadable one- or two-page PDF checklist alongside the longer blog article, with tick boxes and a condensed “Before Exchange” section for buyers to print and use during their transaction.