At a glance
- Insure the property from exchange, not completion.[1]
- Keys are normally released around late lunchtime on completion day, so plan the move for the afternoon.[2]
- Find the Council Tax band for your new address, and the energy certificate.[3][4]
- Tell your conveyancer about anything that worries you before exchange, because it is hard to change afterwards.
Rules and figures last checked October 2026.
Before you exchange
- Arrange buildings insurance to start on the day contracts are exchanged.[1]
- Check your mortgage offer is in place and note its expiry date.
- Confirm the completion date with your conveyancer and the seller’s side. It is usually set at exchange.[1]
- Book your removal firm once the date is firm, and ask the seller what can be left behind.
- Look up the Council Tax band and the property’s energy certificate, so there are no surprises in running costs.[3][4]
On completion day
- Keep your phone on. Your solicitor will confirm when the money has arrived and the keys can be released, usually around late lunchtime.[2]
- Collect the keys from us and check the home against what was agreed. Take meter readings and photographs for your records.
- Ask the seller or us for appliance manuals, alarm codes and the details of any warranties.
In the first weeks
- Set up Council Tax and utilities from the day you take possession, and redirect your post.
- Your solicitor pays Stamp Duty Land Tax within 14 days and registers you as the owner with HM Land Registry. Keep the confirmation.[2]
- Update your address with your bank, employer, doctor and the DVLA.
Read offers and completion for what happens at each stage, or register your search if you are still looking.
Sources
Every figure and rule above comes from one of these, read in October 2026. The dates are the ones each publisher shows as when the page was last updated.
- [1]How to buy a home (opens in a new tab)GOV.UK (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) · page updated 6 September 2019
- [2]Buying a home (opens in a new tab)The Law Society
- [3]Check your Council Tax band (opens in a new tab)GOV.UK
- [4]Find an energy certificate (opens in a new tab)GOV.UK
This is a general guide to buying in England, not legal or financial advice. A conveyancer or solicitor should advise on your own purchase, and a regulated adviser on your mortgage.