Before you sign with a buyer
Ask the adviser to review exclusivity, assignment, fee and cancellation terms. Explain any urgency, joint ownership, estate administration or tenancy. A buyer-funded fee contribution should not prevent independent advice.
Check the adviser’s professional status through the relevant regulator and confirm who represents you. This site does not verify individual advisers or recommend a firm.
During the transaction
The seller’s adviser prepares the contract information, handles enquiries, checks mortgage redemption and advises on signing. They rely on accurate information from you and documents from third parties.
Reply promptly but do not guess. Ask for the unresolved items and dependencies rather than a guaranteed completion promise.
At the binding and payment stages
Your adviser explains when obligations become binding under the local procedure and what completion requires. Read the completion statement and understand the deductions before expecting proceeds.
Verify bank instructions independently. If a message changes payment details, call using a trusted number and do not transfer money until the discrepancy is resolved.
Sources & review
Last reviewed:
General England-and-Wales guidance, not legal advice or a guaranteed timetable. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different binding stages and procedures. Verify payment instructions independently. Illustrations do not depict actual advisers.
- GOV.UK — Transferring ownership (conveyancing)
England and Wales: contract preparation, legally binding exchange and completion. Local procedures and auction terms can differ.
- GOV.UK — How to sell a home
England and Wales: selling costs, paperwork, leasehold information, valuations, chains and legally binding exchange (sections 2–7, 16–17 and 21–22).
- The Law Society — Payment diversion fraud
England and Wales: criminals can impersonate solicitors and substitute bank details. Verify payment instructions by calling a trusted, independently checked number; contact your bank immediately if you suspect a fraudulent transfer.
Review dates record our source check, not the date a rule took effect. Rules can change; check the linked guidance before acting. Legal processes differ across the UK.