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Guides › Home and Delivery › Buying and Selling a Home

Buying and Selling a Home

When you sell through an estate agent you sign a legally binding contract, so check the fees and terms first. Estate agents must belong to a redress scheme that handles complaints for free. Conveyancing complaints go to the Legal Ombudsman, and new-build problems can go to the New Homes Ombudsman Service if the developer is registered.

Last checked 13 October 2026 General information, not legal advice
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At a Glance

Until exchangeagents must pass on every offer
Freeproperty redress schemes and the Legal Ombudsman
Referral feesmust be disclosed to you
6 monthsto go to the Legal Ombudsman after a final response

Your Rights

What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.

Estate Agents

  • Offers

    Estate agents are legally obliged to pass on any offers for your home right up until contracts are exchanged. source

  • Your Agency Contract

    If you use an estate agent you sign a legally binding contract. Check the fees and what they include, and whether you could pay more than one agent (dual fees), which depends on whether an agent has sole selling rights. source

  • Referral Fees

    You must be told if the estate agent or mortgage lender gets a payment from a company they recommend, and you do not have to use that company. source

  • Complaining About an Agent

    Complain to the estate agent using its complaints procedure. If you are unhappy, complain to the redress scheme it belongs to: The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme. They investigate for free. source

Conveyancing and New Builds

  • Solicitors and Conveyancers

    Complaints about solicitors and conveyancers go to the Legal Ombudsman, which is free. The firm has eight weeks first, then you have six months from its final response. source

  • New-build Homes

    For problems with a new-build home, use the developer's after-sales process and your warranty. If the developer is registered with the New Homes Quality Board, you can then go to the New Homes Ombudsman Service. source

Time Limits to Know

Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.

  • See below
    Agents pass on offersRight up until exchange of contracts
  • 8 weeks
    Law firm answers your complaintUp to eight weeks
  • 6 months
    Go to the Legal OmbudsmanWithin six months of the final response

Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right

Free routes to escalate, and when each one applies.

The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme

Estate agents, after their complaints procedure. Free.

Legal Ombudsman

Solicitors and conveyancers, after eight weeks or a final response. Free.

New Homes Ombudsman Service

New-build homes, if the developer is registered.

Steps to Take

Step 1 of 5

Read the agency contract before you sign: fees, length and sole selling rights.

Step 2 of 5

Ask the agent which redress scheme it belongs to.

Step 3 of 5

Get all offers and fee changes in writing.

Step 4 of 5

If something goes wrong, use the firm's complaints procedure in writing.

Step 5 of 5

Then go to the right free scheme: property redress scheme (agents), Legal Ombudsman (conveyancers) or New Homes Ombudsman Service (registered developers).

(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)

Evidence and Your Letter

Gather your evidence, then build a letter you can send in minutes.

Evidence Checklist

0 of 5 gathered

Tap each one when you have it.

CPUK

Letter Generator

How This Works

  1. 1

    Tick off the evidence you already have, and see what is still missing.

  2. 2

    Answer the letter questions. Your answers fill in the wording for you.

  3. 3

    Copy or download the letter, check every detail, and send it yourself.

A template, not legal advice.

Watch Out For

Common traps and scams to avoid.

Pressure to use the agent's recommended mortgage broker or conveyancer: you can choose your own.

Long tie-in periods and dual fees in agency contracts.

Emails asking you to send your deposit to new bank details: call your conveyancer on a known number first.

Recent or changing rules: tap to read

Checked 13 October 2026. Covers England and Wales; Scotland has a different home buying system.

Common Problems

Step-by-step help for a specific problem covered by this guide.

Estate Agent Fees and Contract Tie-InsNew-Build Home Defects: The New Homes OmbudsmanEstate Agent Problems When Selling a HomeSolicitor Complaint: The Legal Ombudsman

See all common problems →

Want Help?

If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.

Not sure where you stand? Try our action plan tool or the free letter templates.

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Sources and official links
Luke Marley

Lead reviewer

Luke Marley

Founder and Lead Reviewer

Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.

Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.

Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.

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