Purchasing a home in England & Wales can be a lengthy process. However, there are things that you can do to make sure the transaction runs smoothly and without unnecessary delays. Firstly, choose a solicitor who you have been happy with before or has been recommended to you. Ideally local to you which will help if you need to attend their offices at short notice to sign papers etc. Don’t be tempted by solicitors or conveyancers who offer cheap headline costs without looking at the overall fees as some will add additional charges through the process. If you are buying with a mortgage apply for this as soon as possible. Even for straight forward applications the mortgage process can take three or four weeks to go to formal mortgage offer. Get paperwork back to your solicitor promptly with any search fees etc they request. Local authority searches have been known to take up to eight weeks in some areas and if you are buying with a mortgage, you can’t exchange contracts without one! Finally, be reasonable and flexible on completion dates wherever possible and communicate any dates you know you can’t do early in the transaction. This will help avoid stressful and last minute discussions with regards to agreeing that all important move date.