Timing the instruction of a solicitor is one of the most impactful decisions a buyer makes in the early stages of a purchase. Many buyers wait until after the offer is accepted to start thinking about finding a solicitor, but the most efficient approach is to have a solicitor already chosen and ready to be instructed at the moment an offer is accepted.

Instruct Before Your Offer Is Accepted

The ideal approach is to research and choose a conveyancing solicitor before you start making offers on properties. At this stage you have time to compare two or three firms, obtain total cost quotes, ask about experience with similar transactions, and confirm their availability and responsiveness. When your offer is accepted, you can instruct immediately without losing days searching for and onboarding a solicitor.

What Early Instruction Achieves

Instructing your solicitor on the day an offer is accepted starts the conveyancing clock running immediately. The solicitor can request the contract pack from the seller's solicitor, order the property searches, begin the anti-money laundering identity checks, and submit the mortgage application documents. All of these actions take time, and the sooner they start the sooner the transaction can reach exchange.

Every week of delay at the start of conveyancing is a week added to the end, and a week of additional exposure to the risk of the transaction falling through. Transactions that move quickly are less likely to fall apart; the longer a transaction takes, the more time there is for circumstances to change on either side.

How to Choose a Solicitor

When selecting a conveyancing solicitor, compare total costs including all disbursements and VAT rather than the headline fee. Ask specifically how they communicate, whether you will have a named fee-earner, and what their typical time from instruction to exchange is. A solicitor who is responsive, proactive, and communicates well makes a substantial difference to the experience and the speed of the transaction, more so than any small cost difference between firms.

Summary

Instruct a solicitor as soon as an offer is accepted, having already selected them before submitting offers. Early instruction starts the conveyancing process immediately, reducing the time to exchange and the window for the transaction to fall through. Choose a solicitor based on total cost, communication style, and experience, rather than agent referral. A named contact who is responsive and proactive makes the most difference to a smooth transaction.