My offer was accepted. What happens now?

An accepted offer starts several separate pieces of work. You do not need to understand every legal term, but you do need to know who has the next action and which answers are still missing.

Do these first

1. Give the estate agent your conveyancer (the solicitor or licensed professional handling the legal purchase)’s details. Ask for the memorandum of sale and check that both legal representatives received it.
2. Instruct the conveyancer. Confirm the quote, named contact, communication method, relevant property experience and whether the firm can act for your lender.
3. Move from a decision in principle (an initial indication of possible lending, not a mortgage offer) to the full mortgage (a loan secured on your home) application. Ask what evidence remains and whether the property creates any lender questions.
4. Prepare identity and source-of-funds evidence. Savings, Lifetime ISA (a savings or investment account with a government bonus and withdrawal conditions) money, gifts and inheritance may need different documents. A giver may also need checks.

Three checks that are easy to confuse

The lender’s valuation

This helps the lender decide whether the property is adequate security for the mortgage. It is not a detailed condition survey (an inspection of the home’s condition) for you.

Your survey

A suitable survey helps you understand condition, risks and possible further investigations. Tell the surveyor about anything that worried you during the viewing. Choose the level for the property’s age, type and condition.

Legal searches and enquiries

Your conveyancer checks title information, rights, restrictions and the seller’s papers, orders suitable searches and raises enquiries. Ask which replies remain open and what those answers mean for your use, costs or resale of the home.

Waiting is still work

“With the solicitors” is not a useful status. Ask which exact document, reply or decision is outstanding, who owns it and what happens after it arrives. Keep a dated note. A delay does not mean you should mark an item complete.

Before exchange

Your conveyancer should explain whether the legal work is satisfactory and what you are committing to. The practical picture normally includes a written mortgage offer, searches and enquiries, any survey follow-up, the agreed price and fixtures, funds, insurance requirements and a completion (the point when the purchase money and ownership transfer) date.

Use the conveyancer’s completion or financial statement for the actual amount to transfer. A budget illustration is not a demand for funds. Verify bank details through a contact route you already trust before sending a large payment.

Completion is a separate event

Completion happens when the purchase money is transferred and ownership completes. Wait for confirmation before collecting keys. Record meter readings and the condition of agreed items, then keep the legal and survey papers for future reference.