Exchange of contracts

The buyer's solicitor will tell us when he or she has received their search results and mortgage offer and is ready to proceed to an exchange of contracts. You will then be asked to sign the contract ready for exchange. You should check that the sale price is correct on the contract and that the items listed on the fittings and contents form remain accurate. If you have changed your mind about any of these items, please let us know immediately so we can let the buyer's solicitor know.

Once you return the signed contract to us and confirm that you are happy to exchange, we can do so as soon as your buyer is ready. This is the point of no return and you need to be certain that you wish to move house! The exchange itself is carried out during a telephone conversation between both sets of solicitors and it is at this stage that the completion date will be written into the contract. Completion normally takes one or more weeks after exchange, but it can be sooner if not on the same day as exchange (known as a simultaneous exchange and completion). It is important to let us know your preferred completion date as early as possible. Also, if you agree a date direct with your buyer, please check with us that the proposed date is realistic.