First Time Buyer Guides by Mr Khan

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Buying Your First Home: A Simple Legal Overview for First-Time Buyers

Buying your first home is exciting — but the legal side can feel confusing, slow, and stressful.

This blog exists to explain the conveyancing process in plain English, without jargon, scare tactics, or sales pressure.

I’m a conveyancer, and I deal with first-time buyers every day. Most people don’t struggle because the process is complicated — they struggle because no one explains what’s actually happening.

This guide gives you a simple overview of what to expect.

What is conveyancing?

Conveyancing is the legal work needed to transfer ownership of a property from the seller to you.

In simple terms, it involves:

  • checking the legal title
  • raising enquiries
  • reviewing searches
  • dealing with your mortgage lender
  • and completing the purchase

It starts once your offer is accepted and ends when you get the keys.

The basic stages of buying a home

Here is a high-level overview of the legal process:

  1. Your offer is accepted
  2. A conveyancer is instructed
  3. Searches are ordered
  4. Legal enquiries are raised and answered
  5. Mortgage offer is issued
  6. Contracts are exchanged
  7. Completion takes place

How long does conveyancing take?

There is no fixed timeline, but for first-time buyers it is commonly:

  • 8–12 weeks, sometimes longer

Delays are usually caused by:

  • slow replies from the seller’s solicitor
  • issues revealed by searches
  • mortgage lender requirements

This does not always mean something has gone wrong.

Why this blog exists

This blog is for:

  • first-time buyers
  • people who want straight answers
  • buyers who want to understand what they’re paying for

It is not legal advice and it’s not a substitute for instructing a solicitor — but it will help you:

  • understand the process
  • ask better questions
  • feel more in control

What’s coming next

Future guides will cover:

  • how much conveyancing really costs
  • freehold vs leasehold
  • what searches actually show
  • common delays (and what you can ignore)
  • when to worry — and when not to

If you’re a first-time buyer, you’re in the right place.

Written by a conveyancer dealing with first-time buyers on a daily basis.

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