The paperwork, the questions and the checks that decide how smoothly a sale goes.
A step-by-step guide to buying your first home in the UK, from saving a deposit to getting the keys. It covers what lenders look for, the Lifetime ISA, stamp duty in each nation, the real cash needed for a £275,000 home and the paperwork worth keeping once you move in.
The TA6 is the Law Society's property information form that sellers in England and Wales complete through their conveyancer. The buyer relies on every answer. Here's what changed in the 6th edition used since 30 March 2026, what each part asks about, how to answer it well and the documents to gather first.
A service charge demand arrives once a year as a single figure with little behind it. You have more right to question it than most leaseholders realise, from section 20 consultation to the receipts behind the accounts, while most of the reform in the headlines isn't law yet.
A mortgage valuation is not a survey and the three RICS levels are not simply cheap, medium and expensive. This compares what each level covers, walks through which one suits the home you are buying, lists what no survey covers and the specialists who fill the gaps, then gives the questions to ask before you book.
To sell a home in England or Wales you'll need your ID, the title, an EPC, the property information forms and the paperwork behind any work done to the house. Here's every document, where it comes from, what to do if it's missing and when you'll need it, with a 12-week plan to gather it all before you list.
