1. Once you have accepted an offer for the purchase of your property, you need to exchange lawyers details with the buyer.

2. Inform your lawyer that a purchase has been agreed and give them the buyer's lawyers details. Your estate agent will then contact the buyer's lawyer

3. Your lawyer will send a draft contract to the buyer's lawyer. This contains details of prices, deposits, details of the two parties involved in the sale and information from the deeds of your property.

4. Your lawyer will ask you to complete a fixtures and fittings form detailing anything in the property you are selling that is included in the price, and which items which you will be taking with you.

5. The buyer's lawyer will now make pre-contract enquiries, including carrying out searches relating to the property and checking the title of the property.

6. Your lawyer will receive a standard set of enquiries from the buyer's lawyer requesting information on - Any disputes relating to the property - Planning contraints on the property – Any planning permission existing for the property – Where the boundaries of the property are – Identify any rights of way
through the property – Any restrictive covenants on the property, e.g. no multiple occupation

7. The buyer's lawyer will check the details in the draft contract, and negotiate changes to it with your lawyer as necessary.

8. The contract is negotiated and agreed. A completion date is agreed

9. If you currently have a mortgage on the property, your lawyer will request a redemption figure from your lender.

10. Contracts are exchanged.

11. The seller's lawyer draws up a transfer document and sends it to your lawyer

12. At this stage you need to ensure that all the practical matters related to moving house are in hand.

13. On completion day you must have vacated the property you are selling. The balance of the purchase monies will be received from the buyer's lawyer

14. If you had a mortgage on the property, it will now be redeemed.

15. Your lawyer will send the title deeds for your property to the buyer's lawyer