What Do Solicitors Do First When Buying a House?

Table of Contents

• The First 48 Hours: What Your Solicitor Does After You Instruct Them
  • Opening the File and Confirming Your Identity
  • Requesting the Contract Pack from the Seller's Solicitor
• What Documents Do Solicitors Need From Buyers?
• Conveyancing Searches Explained: What They Check and Why
  • Local Authority, Environmental, and Water Searches
• The Conveyancing Process for First Time Buyers: A Step-by-Step Timeline
• How Long Does Conveyancing Take? Realistic Timelines and What Affects Them
• Common Mistakes Buyers Make in the First Week
• Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: September 25, 2026

The First 48 Hours: What Your Solicitor Does After You Instruct Them

Most buyers think the legal work starts when the estate agent calls. It doesn't. It starts the moment you formally instruct a conveyancer, and if you're wondering what do solicitors do first when buying a house?, the first two days set the pace for everything that follows.

So what do solicitors do first when buying a house? They open your file, confirm your identity, and request the contract pack from the seller's solicitor. That trio of tasks happens before any searches are ordered or any money changes hands. This guide from UKC Legal walks through each step, the documents you'll be asked for, and the realistic timelines you should expect.

The single biggest surprise for first-time buyers is how much of the early work is admin, not law. Identity checks, source-of-funds evidence, and file opening eat the first day. The legal analysis comes later, once the paperwork is in.

Opening the File and Confirming Your Identity

Conveyancers are legally required to verify who you are and where your money comes from. This is anti-money-laundering law, not box-ticking, and it applies to every purchase.

Expect to provide:

• Photo ID (passport or driving licence)
• Proof of address dated within the last three months
• Bank statements showing your deposit
• A gifted deposit letter, if family are helping

A common mistake is assuming a mortgage offer removes the need for source-of-funds checks. It doesn't. Your solicitor must still see where the deposit came from, even when a lender is involved.

Requesting the Contract Pack from the Seller's Solicitor

Once your file is open, your solicitor writes to the seller's solicitor to request the contract pack. This bundle contains the draft contract, the title register, property information forms, and any leasehold documents.

The seller's solicitor then has to gather these from their client. In practice, this is where delays creep in, because sellers are often slow to return completed forms. Your solicitor can chase, but they cannot force.

What Documents Do Solicitors Need From Buyers?

Buyers typically need to supply identity documents, proof of address, mortgage offer paperwork, deposit evidence, and completed property information forms. The exact list depends on whether you're a cash buyer, a mortgagor, or buying leasehold.

Here's the standard checklist:

Leasehold purchases add another layer. You'll want to see the lease length, service charge history, and ground rent terms before you commit. Your solicitor reviews these and flags anything that could affect the property's value or mortgageability.

Conveyancing Searches Explained: What They Check and Why

Conveyancing searches are enquiries your solicitor makes with councils, utilities, and environmental bodies to uncover issues the seller may not disclose. They protect you from buying a property with hidden problems.

Local Authority, Environmental, and Water Searches

The core searches cover three areas:

• Local authority search: planning permissions, building regulations, road schemes, and any charges affecting the property
• Environmental search: flood risk, contaminated land, and subsidence history
• Water and drainage search: confirms the property connects to mains water and sewers

Results typically take one to three weeks, depending on the council. Some buyers ask whether they can skip searches to save time. For a mortgaged purchase, lenders almost always require them. For cash buyers, it's a risk decision, and a costly one if something surfaces later.

GET A QUOTE →

The Conveyancing Process for First Time Buyers: A Step-by-Step Timeline

The conveyancing process for first time buyers follows a predictable sequence. Knowing the order helps you plan around mortgage offer deadlines and moving dates.

1. Instruct your solicitor and complete ID checks
2. Receive and review the contract pack
3. Order searches
4. Review the mortgage offer and report to you
5. Raise enquiries with the seller's solicitor
6. Report on title and request your deposit
7. Exchange contracts
8. Complete and register the transfer

Steps one to three happen in the first fortnight. Steps four to six can take weeks, depending on how quickly the seller responds.

How Long Does Conveyancing Take? Realistic Timelines and What Affects Them

Freehold purchases typically complete in four to six weeks. Leasehold purchases usually take seven to ten weeks, because leasehold packs and management company enquiries add extra steps.

What slows things down:

• Slow seller responses to enquiries
• Leasehold management packs
• Complex title issues, like missing rights of way
• Chain delays further up the line

A common mistake is booking removals before exchange. Until contracts are exchanged, nothing is legally binding. Keep your dates flexible until your solicitor confirms.

Common Mistakes Buyers Make in the First Week

The biggest early mistake is treating the mortgage offer as the finish line. It isn't. Your solicitor still needs to check the title, order searches, and raise enquiries before you're safe to exchange.

Other frequent slip-ups:

• Delaying ID documents, which stalls the file from day one
• Not reading the report on title properly
• Assuming fixed fees cover every possible extra, like leasehold supplements
• Failing to flag a gifted deposit early

If you're buying in Norwich or anywhere across the UK, having a named case handler who answers questions directly makes the early stages far less stressful.

Buying a house involves legal steps that reward speed and precision in the first week. UKC Legal offers fixed-fee conveyancing with a dedicated case handler for every client, transparent pricing, and completion times of four to six weeks for freehold and seven to ten weeks for leasehold. Our team of SRA solicitors and CLC licensed conveyancers covers purchases, sales, remortgages, and transfers of equity nationwide. Get a quote from UKC Legal and start your purchase with a clear plan from day one.