MY OFFER’S BEEN ACCEPTED... WHAT NOW?

CONGRATULATIONS! Your new home is in sight, but there are a few more things to do.

First, ask the estate agent to take the property off the market and sort your mortgage (see box, left).

At the same time, appoint a conveyancer – a specialist solicitor – to handle the legal side of things.

Try to get a recommendation from a friend and choose one who specialises in property sales. Look for ‘no sale, no fee’ deals, in case it falls through, or a ‘fixed fee’, so you don’t get a bigger bill than expected.

The conveyancer will start the necessary searches – usually local authority, environmental and water and property. Expect to wait several weeks for results.

In the meantime, get a survey. They’re optional, but will uncover any major problems. There are three types: a condition report (the least comprehensive), a Home Buyer’s report (the most common) and a building survey (the most comprehensive).

Once all the results are back, your conveyancer will arrange the exchange of contracts – it’s the point at which the deal is legally binding, and you pay the deposit.

The rest is due on completion – usually a couple of weeks later. That’s the day you’ll pick up the keys, so book a removal van and get packing!