Buying a home
Making an offer
Before you make an offer, check:
- what the property is worth
- the number of years on the lease (if relevant)
- what’s included in the sale
- what will be fixed or inspected before completion (boiler service for example)
Make an offer on a property
Once you’ve decided on a property, you can make an offer, usually through an estate agent.
An offer is not legally binding in England and Wales until you exchange contracts.
If you make an offer ‘subject to contract’, this means the price can still be negotiated (for example, if a survey finds a problem with the property).
Get a legal professional
You’ll need to find a legal professional to handle the legal work involved in buying a home.
This could be a:
- solicitor
- licensed conveyancer
- chartered legal executive
- Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) practitioner
Read more about how to buy and sell a home through estate agents on the MoneyHelper website.
Searches and valuation
Once your offer has been accepted, your solicitor or conveyancer will organise local authority searches on the property.
This usually includes a:
- local authority search
- water and drainage search
- environmental search
You usually have to pay for the searches up front.
Your mortgage provider will carry out a valuation of the property before they approve your mortgage.
Surveys
You can get a homebuyer survey to check the condition of the property. Read more about the different types of surveys you can get on the MoneyHelper website.
Recommendations from estate agents or mortgage lenders
Some estate agents and mortgage lenders might recommend legal professionals, mortgage brokers or surveyors to you.
You must be told if the estate agent or mortgage lender gets a payment (a ‘referral fee’) from the company they’re recommending.
You do not have to use the company that’s been recommended to you.