GOV.UK
Buying or selling your home
1. Overview
Buying or selling a home normally takes 2 to 3 months. The process can take longer if you’re part of a chain of buyers and sellers.
There are several steps you’ll need to follow:
- sellers must provide an Energy Performance Certificate for the property
- if a seller is using an estate agent, potential buyers must make any offers through the agent
- once a buyer’s offer has been accepted, the seller’s responsible for drawing up a legal contract to transfer ownership
- an offer isn’t legally binding until contracts are exchanged
- depending on the amount given for property, the buyer may have to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax
This guide relates to England and Wales. Shelter has advice about buying and selling a home in Scotland.
If you’re buying property with someone else
You can own a home with up to 3 other people. Find out more about the different types of joint property ownership.