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Buying a property can be a stressful and sometimes emotional experience, so our expert residential legal team aim to make all stages of the process as streamlined and smooth as possible for you.
We pride ourselves on providing a high quality service to all of our clients but with an added personal touch.
To assist you in understanding the process we have outlined the five key stages and created a handy download.
Once your offer for the Property has been accepted by the Seller both parties will instruct their lawyers to start the legal work on the purchase. At this stage your offer will be “subject to contract” and not legally binding.
This is the stage where the bulk of the legal work will be carried out for you. The Seller’s lawyer will provide us with a set of Property Questionnaires which will be used to provide you with some detailed information about the Property. They will also compile the set of Title documents for the Property and provide these to us, along with the required contract and other transaction documents. Once we have received these we will carefully check through all of those for you. We may need to raise some additional queries on the documents with the Seller’s lawyer, usually if some of the documentation is incomplete or unclear.
We will also order out a set of “conveyancing searches”. These are normally limited to a Local Authority Search, a desktop Environmental Search and a Drainage and Water Search. Depending on the location of the Property some additional searches may also be ordered. Usually it will take around two to three weeks for the results of the searches to be received. Once they have been received we will review those for you to make sure that are satisfactory and if not we may need to raise enquiries about some of the results with the Seller’s lawyer of other third parties.
This is also the stage where, if you have decided to instruct a surveyor, they will inspect the Property for you and provide you with their report. Your surveyor may also provide us with a list of some legal points that they would like us to check as well.
During this stage you will also need to secure your funding for the Purchase, usually with a formal mortgage offer being issued by your chosen mortgage lender. The terms of the contract and other transaction documents will also be negotiated and signed by you and the Seller in preparation for the next key stage in the process.
Once all of our checks have been completed we will provide you with a Report on Title which will contain a full summary of our findings for you. We will ensure that the report explains everything in non-legal jargon and of course you will have the opportunity to raise any questions with us as well.
Once you are satisfied that you wish to proceed “exchange of contracts” can take place. This will involve a formal call taking place between your lawyer here at Ashworths and the Seller’s lawyer. Once that call has happened the contract will be formally dated and it is at this point that you and your Seller will both be legally committed to sale of the Property. As part of the exchange you will pay a deposit as security for your obligations under the Contract. The “completion date” will also be agreed as well.
This will be the last main stage. On the agreed completion date the balance of the purchase price is paid by you and the legal ownership of the Property will pass over to as well. You will be the proud new owner of your chosen Property.
Following completion we will register the Property in your name at the Land Registry and deal with any other post completion formalities.
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I can only recommend Ashworths. Been using them for
over 15 years, simply the best.”
Diana Greenham and her team at Ashworths have been fantastic in supporting and guiding us through the conveyancing requirements for our property. They were exceptionally thorough, efficient, and professional throughout the entire process, and always supportive and kind. Their expertise and ability to handle questions and resolve issues were truly impressive.
AM Feb 13, 2026
Ashworths are an excellent firm of solicitors. I have retained them on a number of property related sales. Their attention to detail was impressive as was their very personal style of service.
Davif Farrell Jan 12, 2026
In handling my commercial leases and property transactions, Brendan at Ashworths Solicitors has demonstrated an exceptional level of professionalism and expertise. He approaches every matter with precision, efficiency, and a clear focus on achieving…
Alex Winchester Jan 31, 2025
James Simmonds looked after the sale and purchase of properties for my mother with competence, efficiency and compassion. I would not hesitate to recommend his services and I hope to be able to use him again in due course.
Susannah Sykes Oct 19, 2025
Brendan carried out first class work with the sale of our property on a matter that was not straight forward. He clearly demonstrated the ability to make things happen whilst using clear instructions that get to the point and deliver results.
John Baxter Oct 14, 2025
Areej was fantastic she was always quick to respond, cheerful and incredibly clear. Her advice as informed and precise and her conduct was professional and accessible. Thank you so much!
Oscar Pearce Oct 12, 2025
Ashworths matched my needs exactly. Local, focused on property and represented owell. I have no hesitation recommending them.
John Simmonds Oct 8, 2025
I’ve always used Ashworths for all my properties since being a first time buyer, I simply wouldn’t go anywhere else. They are brilliant at what they do, knowledgeable, efficient, and I can always trust the team will do a top level job. I recommend them to all my friends.
Lucy Sep 29, 2025
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