Buying a House

Buying a home is an exciting milestone, but the legal process can sometimes feel complex or overwhelming. At Brethertons, our specialist house-buying solicitors are here to make your purchase as smooth and straightforward as possible.

"We pride ourselves on our close working relationships with our clients."

Emma Crocker
Partner

Call Emma on 01869 255904
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We’ll guide you through every stage of the transaction, handling the legal details on your behalf and keeping you informed from start to finish. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, moving home, or purchasing an investment property, our team will provide clear advice and practical support tailored to your situation.

We understand how important timing and clarity are when buying a home. That’s why we work efficiently to minimise delays, resolve issues promptly, and ensure you always know what’s happening with your purchase.

With transparent fixed fees and a commitment to excellent client care, you can be confident there will be no hidden surprises — just clear communication and expert guidance at every step.

For more information about our conveyancing services and fees, please see our Buying a House Pricing Guide.

Our house buying solicitors can help with:

Making an offer
Legal checks and searches
Signing and contracts
Exchanging and completion
Moving into your new home

Why choose Brethertons house buying lawyers?

Awarded by Lexcel for our outstanding client care and practice management, and holding an accreditation for our Conveyancing service.
Winner of the News Block Property Management Award.
We can help clients across England and Wales over the phone, via email and videoconferencing, as well as face-to-face where appropriate.
Our advice is straightforward and jargon-free, so you will have all of the information you need to proceed with your transaction.

Our house buying services

Making an offer

Once you have found the property you would like to buy, the first step is to make an offer through the estate agent. If your offer is accepted, our experienced conveyancing solicitors will take care of the next steps. We will confirm the agreed price and terms in writing, explain what happens next, and make sure everything is handled promptly and correctly so your purchase can progress smoothly.

Legal checks and searches

Before your purchase goes ahead, a series of property checks and searches are carried out to uncover any potential issues that might affect your new home. Our dedicated conveyancing team will review the title deeds, arrange all necessary local and environmental searches, and identify matters such as flood risks, boundary concerns, or planning restrictions. We will clearly explain anything that arises, ensuring you have a full understanding before you proceed.

Signing and contracts

Once all legal checks have been completed, your solicitor will carefully review the contract and explain the terms, ensuring you fully understand your obligations before signing. We will verify every detail, resolve any outstanding matters, and liaise with your mortgage lender so they can confirm final approval. This step ensures everything is in place for a smooth exchange.

Exchanging and completion

Exchanging contracts is a key milestone in the house-buying process, as it is the point where the agreement becomes legally binding. Our conveyancing solicitors will oversee the exchange, ensuring your deposit is securely transferred and all legal requirements are met. On the agreed completion date, we will arrange for funds to be sent, ownership to be transferred, and the keys to be handed over, so you can move into your new home.

Moving into your new home

On completion day, you can collect your keys and begin settling into your new home. While you focus on moving in, our conveyancing solicitors will finalise the legal details, including registering you as the new owner with the Land Registry. You can feel confident that every stage of your purchase has been handled with care.

House buying FAQs

Do you need a solicitor to buy a house?

Whilst you are under no legal requirements to use a solicitor when buying a house, it is recommended as property transactions often involve due diligence. Our solicitors ensure the process is handled correctly by reviewing contracts, checking for issues with the property, and handling funds correctly. This can prevent mistakes, delays, or the loss of money.

What does a solicitor do when buying a house?

A solicitor for buying property oversees the legal and administrative aspects of a property transaction. Typically, this will include making sure the correct property searches are done with the relevant local authorities, reviewing and explaining draft contracts, and checking the title deeds.

They may also help to manage the transfer of funds, such as the deposit and final payment, and liaise with the seller's solicitors to arrange completion and contracts. Working with solicitors when buying a house is key for avoiding mistakes, stressful processes, or legally problematic contracts.

What is the process of buying a house from start to finish?

Typically, the house buying process goes as follows:

The seller accepts your offer.
A solicitor for buying a house is instructed.
Property searches and surveys are carried out.
Mortgages are arranged if necessary.
Contracts are signed and exchanged.
Funds are transferred and you receive the keys.

Your solicitor for buying a house will ensure that matters are moved along in good time and you don’t get stuck at any stage.

What are the most crucial questions to ask the estate agent or seller when viewing a property?

You are strongly advised to think ahead when getting ready to view a property so that you have your priorities in mind and can make the most of your time at the viewing. The answers could reveal whether the property is right for you, and how easily you could move in. Some key questions you might consider asking include:

Why is the owner selling this property?
Has the property seen any major repairs or alterations?
How long has the property been on the market?
Are fittings and furniture included in the sale?
Are there any known issues, such as boundary disputes or damp?
What are the local schools, transportation, and amenities like?

What is the purpose of a home survey, and what are the different types available?

A home survey should highlight any potential problems with the property before you commit to buying it. This will include a Condition Report, which is suitable for most basic new homes, a HomeBuyer Report, which is more detailed and covers urgent repairs, or a Building Survey, which is recommended for older or unusual properties.

What are the key differences between buying a freehold vs. a leasehold property?

It is important to understand the difference between freehold and leasehold properties, and your solicitors for buying a house can explain this in more detail.

A freehold property means you own the property and land outright, typically with no ongoing charges. Leasehold properties, meanwhile, mean you own the property for a set number of years but not the land itself. You will usually pay ground rent and service charges and may face restrictions on alterations.

How does the house buying process differ for first time buyers?

First-time buyers will not have concerns regarding the sale of an existing property, which can speed up the process. They may also qualify for schemes such as Help to Buy or stamp duty relief, subject to property value. Working with experienced house-buying solicitors can ensure that you take advantage of any available schemes.

How long does the conveyancing process usually take?

On average, conveyancing takes 8 to 12 weeks to complete. Delays can occur if issues arise during surveys, searches, or the mortgage approach, but our solicitors for house purchases can help mitigate delays before they arise.

What are the typical costs involved in buying a house?

There are a variety of costs involved in buying a house, which could include:

Solicitor’s fees,
Stamp Duty Land Tax (if applicable),
Mortgage fees,
Survey costs,
Search fees (local authority, environmental, drainage, etc); and,
Removal costs.

When you work with a Brethertons’ lawyer for buying a house, they will explain the financial commitments and minimise them wherever possible by meeting deadlines and identifying errors to help the transaction go through smoothly.

What happens on the day of completion, and what are the final steps?

On completion day, your solicitor will transfer the purchase money to the seller’s solicitor, and the seller will vacate the property. You can then collect the keys, typically from the estate agency, and your solicitor will register you as the new owner with the Land Registry.

Any final documents, such as title deeds, will be given to you and your mortgage lender where appropriate. The day of completion marks your success in buying a house and the start of your ownership.

Consult our house buying solicitors in Banbury, Bicester, Cheltenham and Rugby

To speak to our house buying lawyers today, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We have offices in Banbury, Bicester, Cheltenham, and Rugby, working with clients across Coventry and Warwickshire, the West Midlands, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and nationwide.

Brethertons were friendly, efficient and kept me informed at all times. I was confident that he would do what he said he would do. To my great delight he did exactly that! A job well done.
David Leytham
Emma Crocker and Steven Neasham were fantastic, kept me informed of what was happening, chased people relentlessly and made sure I understood what things were
Brethertons made the purchase of our first house incredibly straightforward and stress free. We were kept very well informed throughout, and they even put up with all our ignorant questions without complaining! Thank you.
Murray Naish
Buying a home can be very stressful because of the sums involved and the number of variables - Steven's expertise and communicative approach made the process a pleasure.
James Peake
Going through this house sale was my first experience as executor and selling a house I found it was made very smooth and straightforward by Brethertons.
Brethertons has done a great job on our house sale. Due to our property being in a development maintained by a property management company, I was concerned about the potential delays that might cause but I provided Brethertons with some important information early on and she made sure that all aspects proceeded smoothly. Overall, very happy with the sale and had no hesitation in asking Brethertons to deal with our house purchase.ï»¿
Haythem Al-Kishtaini
As with our previous experience of Brethertons we enjoyed a highly efficient, knowledgeable, approachable and helpful service. Many thanks.
Erica Forrest-Owen
Brethertons did a fantastic job with the sale and purchase of properties. The communication is quick, efficient and approachable. We had a nightmare waiting for our onwards purchase and the sellers solicitors were shockingly bad. Thankfully, Brethertons were on it throughout and constantly chased on our behalf.
Special shout out to Leo who was so prompt at replying to queries and nothing was too much trouble. Really appreciate the hard work that was put in
Thanks!!
Good, clear and regular communication, chasing of other parties. Very high level of service.
Thanks Steven for such excellent service once again. We'll be back.
Christine Hanlon
All l can say is that from everyone, l received fantastic service, and please can l ask you to pass the feedback to them personally.
Brethertons managed our case. Very professionally and kept us informed at all times.
ï»¿Superb service which gave me confidence in the smooth process of my house sale and purchase. My thanks go to all involved.
We look forward to working with Brethertons as our local solicitors of choice for any legal matters we may have.
The Brethertons team exceeded my expectations and couldn't have been more helpful.
Once again, l would like to praise Leo Deane. He was very efficient and a pleasure to deal with - Thank You.
We found the staff at Banbury were very friendly and helpful. Leo Deane was very good.
Keep doing what you're doing!ï»¿
I cannot recommend Leo and Lewis enough at Brethertons, having worked in the business for over 20 years I know how a transaction should progress if the legal representation is knowledgeable and Leo and Lewis did not let me down. There legal expertise is excellent, they are friendly, personable and easy to deal with. Five stars all the way
Please keep the personal approach, as l find this very important rather than leaving everything to be notified on Email etc.
I was very happy and my agents commented at the start of your reputation of efficiency. Always got back to my calls and emails. Made the process very easy - Thanks!
What a great team, so pleased we went with Brethertons. Expensive, but worth the extra money, great with all the detail and always available to chat through our concerns and keep us posted.
Brilliant service. Always took/returned calls promptly, efficiently & kept me informed. Totally reliable and very friendly.
I have used diators services pretty frequently and I must say this was if not the best. The ability professionalism and determination to make progress when our purchaser's solicitors were inefficient. I would recommend Brethertons without hesitation.ï»¿
At this time cannot see any need for improvement. Totally satisfied with our experience of dealing with Brethertons.
I have nothing but praise for Brethertons in Banbury.
Keep up the good work. You are doing a grand job.
Excellent level of service. Would definitely use again and would recommend highly.
I feel the level of service given to me was excellent with friendly, efficient, professional and caring staff.
definitely use again and recommend. Thank you Brethertons. Amazing job.
Carry on! Very good job. I am truly satisfied with the service provided. It has been refreshing to deal with professional people who get a good job done. Thank you for making a stressful time stress free.
It's hard to think of how you can improve on perfection. I really, honestly cannot think of any way brethertons can be improved, which is unlike me. I just hope you continue to be as good as you are. It is a pleasure to say when people ask who did you use? I feel proud to say Brethertons of course, the best.
We have used Brethertons many times - Wills, POA, Conveyancing etc. Always handled professionally.
Brethertons have given excellent service in the past and this time was just as good if not better.