Quick answer
A move runs in seven stages. Get your budget and solicitor ready before an offer, instruct your solicitor once it is accepted, let the conveyancing run, book removals only after exchange, tell everyone your new address the week before, collect the keys on completion day, then your solicitor files the Stamp Duty return and registers you.
On this page
Your checklist
The full checklist is below. Each step says whether it is for buyers or sellers.
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1. Before you make or accept an offer
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2. Offer accepted: instruct your solicitor
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3. While the conveyancing runs
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4. Exchange of contracts
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5. The week before completion
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6. Completion and moving day
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7. After you move
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This is a general guide, not legal advice. Every move is different: your solicitor confirms the steps for your move.
How long conveyancing takes depends on the chain, the lenders and the searches. Your solicitor can give you an estimate at the start.
Next step: your conveyancing quote
A written, itemised quote before you instruct us, with Stamp Duty and the Land Registry fee shown separately.
Get your quoteSent. Check your inbox.
It comes from enquiries@wslegal.co.uk. If you asked for updates, click the button in that email to confirm.
Who to tell when you move
Start about a week before completion, once the date is fixed at exchange.
- Your council: tell the council for the home you are leaving and the one for your new home, for council tax.
- Gas, electricity and water suppliers: give them your moving date and take meter readings on the day.
- Broadband, phone and TV providers: book the move early, as a new connection can take time.
- DVLA: update your driving licence and your vehicle log book (V5C). It is free to do online.
- Your GP and dentist: you may need to register with new ones if you move out of the area.
- Your bank, building society and credit card providers: plus pensions, investments and loans.
- Insurers: car, contents, life and pet insurance all need your new address.
- Your employer and HMRC: so payslips, tax codes and letters reach you.
- TV Licensing: move your licence to your new address.
- Royal Mail: set up a post redirection so letters follow you.
- The electoral roll: register to vote at your new address. It also helps your credit record.
Conveyancing timeline
How long it takes depends on the chain, your lender and the searches. Your solicitor should give you an estimate at the start and tell you if anything changes it.
- Getting startedQuote and ID
You accept your quote and send your ID. On a sale, your solicitor gets your title from HM Land Registry and sends you the property forms. On a purchase, they ask the seller's solicitor for the contract pack.
- Checks and searchesTitle, searches, mortgage offer
The buyer's solicitor reviews the contract and title, orders searches and raises questions. Your mortgage offer arrives.
- Report and signYour report and the contract
A buyer gets a report on the property, signs the contract and transfers the deposit. A seller signs the contract and the transfer deed.
- ExchangeThe contract is binding
The solicitors exchange contracts and the completion date is fixed. From this point, both sides are legally bound. If you are buying and selling, both usually exchange on the same day.
- Completion dayKeys and money change hands
The purchase money is paid to the seller's solicitor, the seller's mortgage is repaid and the keys are released. Afterwards the buyer's solicitor files the Stamp Duty (or Land Transaction Tax) return and registers the new owner at HM Land Registry.
Stamp Duty and the Land Registry fee depend on the price: work them out with our conveyancing cost calculator. How we handle each kind of move: buying a house, selling a house, buying and selling and first-time buyers.
Who oversees our conveyancing
Questions people ask about moving
How long does conveyancing take?
It depends on the chain, your lender and the searches. Every buyer and seller in a chain has to be ready before anyone can exchange, so one slow link holds up the rest. A good solicitor gives you an estimate at the start and tells you if anything changes it.
How long does conveyancing take with no chain?
Usually less time, because nobody else’s sale or purchase has to line up with yours. The same steps still happen: ID checks, the contract pack, searches, any mortgage offer and the questions between solicitors. Searches and lenders can still set the pace.
When should I book removals?
Get quotes early, but only fix the date once contracts are exchanged. Before exchange the completion date is not certain and either side can still pull out.
Who do I need to tell when I move house?
Your council (for council tax), your energy and water suppliers, your broadband provider, DVLA, your GP, your bank and insurers, your employer and HMRC, TV Licensing and the electoral roll. A Royal Mail redirection catches anything you miss. The full list is on this page.
What happens on completion day?
The buyer’s solicitor sends the purchase money to the seller’s solicitor. Once it arrives, the seller’s mortgage is paid off and the estate agent is told to release the keys. Timings on the day depend on when the money moves along the chain.
What is the difference between exchange and completion?
Exchange is when the contract becomes binding and the completion date is set. Completion is the day the money is paid and the keys change hands.
Does my solicitor register me at the Land Registry?
Yes. After completion your solicitor files the Stamp Duty return and registers you as the owner at HM Land Registry. You can estimate Stamp Duty and the Land Registry fee with our conveyancing cost calculator.
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