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

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

3. Your solicitor will send a draft contract to the buyer's solicitor. 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 solicitor 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 solicitor will now make pre-contract enquiries, including carrying out searches relating to the property and checking the title of the property.

6. Your solicitor will receive a standard set of enquiries from the buyer's solicitor 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 solicitor will check the details in the draft contract, and negotiate changes to it with your solicitor 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 solicitor will request a redemption figure from your lender.

10. Contracts are exchanged.

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

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 solicitor

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

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