Offer accepted- now what?

[Primotomb]

We've had our offer on a property accepted what do we do now? Do we wait for something from the estate agent before instructing a solicitor? I've read on another website that we should be sent a memorandum of sale. Do we wait for that before instructing the solicitor?

We instructed the solicitors immediately as there was no reason not to and nothing will move on until you have solicitors in place. Also the estate agents needed to know which solicitors we were using so that it could be on the memorandum of sale. But it's just a piece of paper to say the agreed price and has the vendors and your details and the solicitor details for both of you.

We instructed solicitors immediately and obtained from a mortgage provider an agreement in principal for the mortgage amount.

Start gathering paperwork: proof of ID, bank statements, payslips, P60s...the list is seemingly endless.

Instruct solicitor immediately. Give details to estate agent of your solicitor and he will send memorandum of sale direct to them

Your solicitor's contact details are needed for the memorandum of sale. Do check that whoever you choose to go with is on the panel for your mortgage company as they act for you and the mortgage company.

Will you be in a chain? If so, instruct your solicitors but ask them to not start work until the chain is complete. If your vendor is buying somewhere, then their vendor needs to find somewhere (and so on) it could take a few months to complete the chain. You don't want your solicitor to star spending your money on searches etc until everyone else is ready to start doing the same.

Thanks all, some really helpful advice there x