Buying a home normally takes 2 to 3 months. The process can take longer if you’re part of a chain of buyers and sellers.

There are several steps you’ll need to follow:

• sellers must provide an Energy Performance Certificate for the property
• if a seller is using our estate agency all the potential buyers must make any offers through the agent
• once a buyer’s offer has been accepted, the seller’s responsible for drawing up a legal contract to transfer ownership
• an offer isn’t legally binding until contracts are exchanged
• depending on the amount given for property, the buyer may have to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax

This guide relates to England and Wales.