Process overview, step by step

Last updated: 2026-07-26

Buying a home in England typically moves through these stages: getting a Mortgage in Principle (AIP/Decision in Principle), searching for a property, making an offer, reaching “sales agreed”, conveyancing and a survey, the legally binding exchange of contracts, and finally completion and moving in. Each stage has its own dynamics and risks worth knowing in advance.

Status of this page

This page is part of the site’s initial skeleton. The summary above is a concise, fact-checked overview — the full, expanded version (with more examples, sources, and detail) will be added as part of the tasks in ISSUES.md (section M4 — Content).