Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Completion definition

What does Completion mean? In legal practice, Completion is the point at which a transaction is finally effected, sometimes called 'closing' in cross‑border deals: consideration is paid and title, assets or rights are transferred after all conditions precedent are satisfied or waived and the required completion documents are delivered. Not generally defined by legislation, it is a contractual expression used across conveyancing, corporate/M&A and finance, informed by common law. Key features include a completion date/time; completion mechanics (agenda or checklist); execution and delivery of transfers and ancillary documents; release of funds (often against undertakings); and, where relevant, escrow or virtual completion. Completion usually fixes when...

Commercial property transactions and land law: Scots law v England & Wales—due diligence, missives/contracts, completion, registration, securities, community rights and transparency registers

Published by a LexisNexis Property expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note explores how the stages of commercial property sales differ between England and Wales and Scotland, covering pre-contract, contract, post-contract, Completion or Settlement, and post-completion or settlement. Assuming a straightforward transaction with no funding, the outline below sets out the principal steps at each stage for both jurisdictions...

Pre-contract

England and Wales

Buyer submits pre-contract enquiries to the seller
Buyer undertakes due diligence and orders required searches (for example official copies, land charges searches, coal mining reports, and local authority search and enquiries), see Practice Note: Pre-contract searches
Seller circulates a draft contract incorporating the standard conditions of sale
The parties negotiate the draft contract
Buyer makes an official search with priority; see Pre-completion searches—checklist

Scotland

Seller supplies a title pack, comprising a copy title sheet where registered in the Land Register, or title deeds if still in the Register of Sasines, together with all necessary reports and searches (such as a legal report, local authority search, and coal mining report), see Practice Note: Investigating title in Scotland—searches and enquiries—the basics...

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Rachel Oliphant

Pinsent Masons

Rachel is a senior practice development lawyer for the Scottish property team at Pinsent Masons and is senior tutor in conveyancing on the Diploma in Legal Practice at The University of Edinburgh. After practising as a commercial property solicitor in England (at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain) and then in Scotland (at McGrigor Donald which she joined in 1995) Rachel became one of the first property professional support lawyers in Scotland in 2001. Rachel's transactional experience was in property development particularly retail development in both England and Scotland. In her current role at Pinsent Masons Rachel is responsible for keeping the property lawyers up to date on changes in property law and market practice, creating and maintaining precedents and organising and delivering training to ensure that the lawyers in the team are fully-equipped with the necessary technical excellence and skills to deliver a...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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