Guides to buying a home

Buying a home in England and Wales is a process nobody explains until you’re inside it. These guides cover each stage in plain English — what’s happening, what’s normal, and what deserves your attention.

• What happens after your offer is acceptedThe stage-by-stage timeline of buying a home in England and Wales — solicitors, searches, surveys, enquiries, exchange — in plain English.
• How long does conveyancing take — and what is actually happening?Why buying a home typically takes three to five months, what each quiet stretch means, and how to tell normal waiting from a real problem.
• Why house purchases fall through — and what you can do about yoursRoughly one in three accepted offers never completes. The common causes — chains, surveys, finance, time — and what buyers can actually influence.
• What to check at a house viewingA room-by-room viewing checklist for England and Wales — the faults worth photographing, the questions worth asking, and how to compare homes fairly.
• Understanding your house surveyRICS survey levels explained, how to read the traffic-light ratings, and how to act on findings without panicking — or overpaying.