Getting Started
How does buying a home in the UK work?
Last reviewed: 3 October 2026
The brief answer
You prepare your money, get an Agreement in Principle, find a home and make an offer through the estate agent. Once the offer is accepted, solicitors and lenders do their checks. The purchase becomes binding at exchange of contracts, and you get the keys at completion.
In plain English
In England and Wales, buying a home happens in a fairly fixed order. First you work out your budget and usually obtain an Agreement in Principle from a lender. Then you search, view homes and make an offer through the seller's estate agent.
When an offer is accepted, the legal and mortgage work starts. Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer checks the property's legal title and runs searches; your lender values the property and issues a mortgage offer. You may also commission your own survey.
Until contracts are exchanged, either side can still walk away. At exchange the deal becomes legally binding and a completion date is fixed. On completion day the money is transferred and you collect the keys.
Scotland has a different system (for example, sellers provide a Home Report and the contract becomes binding earlier). Northern Ireland also has differences. Our guides focus on England and Wales.
Why it matters
Knowing the order of steps helps you prepare in time, recognise delays and know who is responsible for what.
What to do next
- 1Take the readiness check to see which step you are at.
- 2Read the guide for your current step.
- 3Start a simple folder for documents and a list of questions.
Checklist
- I know the six stages
- I know where in the UK I am buying
- I understand an offer is not binding until exchange