Buying or selling your home

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.

You can own a home with up to 3 other people. Find out more about the different types of joint property ownership.