The house-buying process

From the day of your first appointment with a Bellway sales advisor, you will receive a personalised service to ensure that your new home is a perfect fit for you. A friendly sales advisor at your chosen development will be able to advise you about the different house styles available, talk you through your options, and answer any questions you may have. We know how important it is to make your home-buying journey enjoyable, exciting and tailored to you – just as it should be.

When you have chosen your dream Bellway home, and are ready to make a reservation, we ask that you bring two forms of identification with you. This can be your passport, your driver’s licence, a bank statement, or in some cases, a utility bill. At the same time, you will pay an initial reservation fee, which varies depending on your circumstances, such as whether you are taking advantage of a buying scheme. You will then be given a Bellway Customer Checklist, which details everything you need to know about your new home, and what to expect next.

The next step is to instruct a solicitor to act on your behalf. We recommend doing this within 48 hours of making your reservation, in order to avoid any delays and ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible. If you don’t already have a solicitor in mind, or have never purchased a home before, make sure to choose your solicitor carefully, using recommendations where possible. It’s also important to maintain good communication with your solicitor throughout the buying process.

You should confirm an appointment date with your mortgage advisor within 24 hours of making your reservation. Your advisor should then submit a full application with your preferred lender within seven days of making your reservation. If applicable, your survey fee will also need to be paid at this point.

Searches are an essential part of the home buying process. They are used to ensure that there aren’t any issues you need to be aware of before you take ownership of your new home. Your solicitor will advise you which searches need to take place, and ensure that are carried out in a timely manner. Any searches should be paid for in the week following reservation to avoid potential delays, and the conveyancing process will then begin.

Arrange any references with your employer, bank, or landlord – your mortgage provider will need these in order to progress your application. During this time, you will start to receive a lot of correspondence regarding your new home. It is important to respond to any letters, emails and telephone calls as quickly as possible, to ensure your home-buying journey continues to run smoothly, and to avoid any potential delays.

Once searches have been carried out, your solicitor may raise enquiries about the plot, or property. These will then be answered by our team and a report will be sent to you. You should read this report and confirm to your solicitor that you are happy with the content within 48 hours.

A survey will be carried out on your new home on behalf of your mortgage provider. This is an expert inspection of your property's condition, giving you full peace of mind before you move.

At this point, your mortgage offer will be issued to you and your solicitor for sign off. If this hasn’t been received within a week of the survey, please contact your mortgage advisor. Our recommendation is to return your signed paperwork within 48 hours of receipt.

When you return your signed contracts you will also need to pay your deposit. Ensure this is with your solicitor at least 48 hours before the exchange deadline.

Exchange of contracts is the point at which you are legally obligated to complete the purchase of your home. You may exchange contracts with a ‘fixed’ legal completion date, but if the property is not ready to move into, you will exchange on ‘notice’. If you do exchange on ‘notice’, our sales advisor will be in regular contact with you to update you regarding build progress and your anticipated move-in date.

You will be invited to attend a home demonstration at your new home, where our site manager will show and explain to you its various features. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask any questions you may have, and have a thorough look around your new home.

Once your home is ready and has passed all of our quality checks, our team will serve your solicitors with a legal notice to complete. This then gives you 14 days to complete on the property. Our sales advisor will be on hand to make your moving day as streamlined and enjoyable as possible, and will contact you so you can collect the keys to your new home as soon as the completion funds have been received by our solicitors.

Our sales advisor and site manager will visit you three days after you move into your new home, and our site manager will visit again seven days later. You will be handed over to our Customer Care team 14 days after moving in (though this can depend on where in the UK you have purchased your home). The team will then assist you with any future concerns or questions you might have. Congratulations - it’s time to unpack, relax and enjoy your beautiful new Bellway home.