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Once an offer is accepted, the seller's solicitor prepares a contract pack from the title and the seller's own forms, and the buyer's solicitor raises enquiries and orders searches: local authority, drainage and water, environmental and whatever the location calls for, such as mining or flood. Nothing is binding while this happens.

Exchange of contracts is the moment the deal becomes legally enforceable, and the completion date is fixed then. Completion is when money moves, ownership transfers and keys are handed over. GOV.UK describes selling a home as taking around five months on average, and most of that time is spent on enquiries and on the chain rather than on the legal drafting itself.

Because nothing binds before exchange, either side can withdraw up to that point. That is the source of most of the frustration in English and Welsh transactions, and the main reason solicitors push to get enquiries answered early.

In Scotland the seller commissions the Home Report before marketing. It has three parts: a single survey and valuation by a chartered surveyor covering condition, accessibility and repairs, a property questionnaire covering 16 categories including council tax band and past issues such as fire, storm damage or asbestos, and an energy report. A seller or selling agent must give it to you within nine days of a request, and some properties, including new builds sold off-plan and certain seasonal holiday homes, are exempt but still need an energy performance certificate.

Buying then runs through solicitors. Your solicitor notes your interest; if several people are interested the seller sets a closing date for offers. The offer itself is a formal letter stating the price, the date of entry and any conditions. The seller's solicitor usually replies with a qualified acceptance, and the two sides exchange missives until the terms are agreed.

When missives are concluded the contract is binding, and withdrawing after that can leave you owing the seller substantial damages. Insurance timing depends on what the missives say, which is one of the things to check with your solicitor rather than assume.

Registration is not optional. HM Land Registry requires registration when you buy land or property, are given it, inherit it, receive it in exchange or mortgage it, with a narrow exception where a lease has seven years or less to run. Scotland uses the Registers of Scotland and Northern Ireland uses Land and Property Services.

The tax depends on where the property is, and so does the deadline. Stamp Duty Land Tax applies in England and Northern Ireland, and GOV.UK requires the return and payment within 14 days of completion. Scotland charges Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, collected by Revenue Scotland. Wales charges Land Transaction Tax, collected by the Welsh Revenue Authority, with a return and payment due within 30 days of the day after completion. Your solicitor normally files and pays on the day and bills it on.

Conveyancing is a target for fraud because large sums move on predictable dates. The standard attack is an email that appears to come from your solicitor giving new bank details shortly before completion. GOV.UK's guidance on selling a home flags fraud when transferring large sums for exactly this reason.

The defence is dull and effective. Take the firm's account details in person or from the client care pack at the start, never from an email sent later. Confirm any change by phoning a number you already had, not one in the message. Send a small test payment first and ring to confirm receipt before sending the balance.