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Read more articles in: Blog, Louise Brough, Property, Residential Conveyancing
3 June 2026
There is a particular feeling that comes with buying your first home. Somewhere between thrilled, terrified and stressed.
If you are about to buy your first home and you are starting to get nervous, don’t worry it is completely normal.
Buying a home is one of the biggest legal transactions most people ever go through. The conveyancing process – the formal procedure to buy your home – has plenty of moving parts, but it does not need to feel overwhelming with the right preparation and team beside you.
Here is our property team’s checklist to help you tick off the legal essentials before you collect those shiny new keys.
A mortgage in principle, a deposit and a clear view of your monthly budget will save a lot of time and heartache. It also means estate agents put you at the top of the pile when offers go in.
If you have been saving in a Help to Buy ISA or Lifetime ISA, factor those bonuses into your numbers. They are paid to your solicitor to add to your deposit on completion, so they need to be accounted for.
If any part of the property financing is relying on the Bank of Mum and Dad, you will need to be able to provide proof of this source of financing as well.
The earlier you have a solicitor lined up, the smoother things tend to go. The moment your offer is accepted, the clock starts and every minute counts.
Having Mander Hadley already in place means we can request the contract pack from the seller’s solicitor on day one rather than week three.
When you are choosing a firm, look for the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation, which is a recognised mark of expertise in residential property work.
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from the seller to you.
It involves reviewing the contract, raising enquiries with the seller’s solicitor, conducting searches, dealing with your mortgage lender, exchanging contracts and finally completing the purchase.
You will not need to do any of this yourself, but you will be asked to sign documents and provide certain types of information.
So, knowing the rough shape of it makes everything feel a lot less mysterious.
Local authority, water and drainage, environmental and chancel repair searches are the most common searches performed on a property and are often required by mortgage lenders as well.
They reveal things you cannot see from a viewing. Planned road schemes, flood risk, contaminated land, mining history and rights of way over the garden.
Coventry, Kenilworth and the wider Warwickshire area have plenty of beautiful older properties with quirky histories, so it is also worth conducting searches on any grading associated with the property and/or areas of conservation.
Searches make sure that these quirks do not become problems further down the line.
A mortgage valuation is not a survey. It only tells your lender whether the house is worth roughly what they are lending.
Whilst it is not a legal requirement to conduct a full survey, it is highly recommended. A RICS HomeBuyer Report or a full Building Survey looks at the actual condition of the property and tells you what you are really buying.
If a survey flags issues, this may give you and your solicitor the opportunity to renegotiate the price or ask the seller to deal with the work before you complete.
First-time buyers usually benefit from reduced Stamp Duty Land Tax, but thresholds and reliefs change over time and the definition of “first-time buyer” is more specific than you might think. Joint purchases in particular need a careful look.
New builds bring their own set of considerations. Reservation fees, developer deadlines, estate rent charges, NHBC or other new build warranties all need careful review.
It is also worth understanding any planning conditions or future plans for the site to ensure your enjoyment of your new home isn’t affected.
Working with a team of solicitors like ours ensures that “small print” is checked carefully so you know exactly what you are committing to.
After all the stress of purchasing a new home, the exchange of contracts is the point at which the purchase becomes legally binding.
Although you will try to agree on a date with the existing owner, it can be sudden, so you need to be ready.
Completion is the day you collect the keys. Between the two, make sure your deposit is sitting in the right account, your buildings insurance is in place from exchange (not completion) and your removals are booked.
Once you are in, there are a few sensible things to tidy up. Updating your Will to reflect your new home and considering a Lasting Power of Attorney are two of the most common things that are overlooked, especially by younger, first-time buyers.
However, they are essential for protecting your partner or spouse should the worst happen.
If you are buying with a partner, thinking about whether you own as joint tenants or tenants in common matters more than people realise. Our wider team can help with all of that.
Mander Hadley has a long history of helping people in Coventry, Kenilworth and across the wider Warwickshire area move into their first, second or forever homes.
We know the local market and have many key contacts within it. Our team know the conveyancing process inside out and understands and can help you overcome any challenges along the way.
Our conveyancing team will guide you through every step in a friendly and thorough process to help you turn the key in the door of your first property with minimal stress or delay.
To find out more about our conveyancing services, please get in touch with our team.
