Take the stress out of the legal process.
Buying or selling can be confusing. Here is what conveyancing is, what happens when, and why the solicitor you pick matters more than you would think.
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What is conveyancing, and who needs it?
In its simplest form, conveyancing is the legal transfer of home ownership from the seller to you, the buyer. It starts when your offer is accepted and finishes on completion, the day you get the keys.
A sale or purchase cannot happen without it.
Who does it?
A conveyancer or solicitor. They work for you, making sure the legal obligations are met for both parties and for the lender.
Whether you are purchasing, selling or remortgaging, you will need a solicitor or conveyancer to do the legal work for you and for your mortgage lender.
We work with a large panel of licensed conveyancers who are guaranteed to work with your recommended lender and can be local to you. We work with over 20 different legal firms, so there is real choice on cost and service.
Why use our conveyancing service?
It is crucial to understand that not every solicitor can work with every lender. We make sure the solicitor we recommend can act directly for the lender you have chosen. That removes the risk of having to switch solicitors mid-purchase, or waiting weeks while someone tries to get onto a lender's panel.
If you are thinking of using your estate agent's recommended conveyancer, compare quotes first. It is worth checking you are getting a fair price, and comparing any additional charges that might not be shown upfront.
All of our legal partners work to pre-agreed prices with no hidden fees, so you know the costs upfront.
How long should conveyancing take?
The average purchase takes between 8 and 12 weeks.
Get a quote
Call us and we will get you comparison quotes from our panel. Pre-agreed prices, no hidden fees.
Call 01225 258900Instruction to exchange
What happens, and when.
Contract pack and enquiries
Your conveyancer contacts the seller’s solicitor, obtains the contract pack and raises any necessary enquiries. This happens once your offer is accepted and your mortgage application is in.
You will need to go through the documents the seller has completed and flag any queries or concerns.
Mortgage offer and searches
Your conveyancer requests a copy of your mortgage offer and carries out local authority searches. Searches are frequently where delays come from, it depends entirely on the local authority’s speed, and in extreme cases can take as long as 12 weeks.
Searches often include environmental searches and flood risk reports, water authority searches, chancel repair searches, and optional location-specific ones such as mining searches.
Why searches matterImagine there are plans to build a block of flats next door. Or planning permission nearby that could affect your property’s value in five years. This is how you find out.Reporting back to you
Your conveyancer analyses the search results and the mortgage offer and reports back, highlighting anything to note. They will also discuss completion dates with you and negotiate one with the seller’s conveyancer.
Before you sign the contract, your solicitor needs to be satisfied that:
All enquiries have been returned and are satisfactoryThe fixtures and fittings included are what you expected
Exchange of contracts
You provide the deposit to your conveyancer. They tell the seller’s solicitor you wish to proceed, swap signed contracts and confirm the deposit is paid.
Once contracts are exchanged you are in a legally binding contract to buy the property. There are legal ramifications if you pull out after this point, as well as losing your deposit.
Before you can exchangeYour lender will require buildings insurance on the new home. You are liable for the property the moment contracts are exchanged, so you need to be covered from that point. Our home insurance page goes into this properly.Exchange to completion
Your conveyancer prepares a completion statement for you to review, contacts your lender to arrange release of funds, prepares the transfer deed and notifies the Land Registry of the change of ownership.
They then transfer the payment to the seller’s conveyancer, receive the title deeds and transfer deeds, and obtain proof that any outstanding mortgages have been redeemed.
The seller moves out, often on the day itself, and you collect the keys when the seller’s estate agent gives the word.
After completion
Your conveyancer ties up the loose ends: receives the title deeds from the Land Registry and sends them to your lender (or to you, if you are a cash buyer), and pays your Stamp Duty Land Tax from the funds received on completion.
Does the process differ for a remortgage?
Yes, and it is much easier. There is no other party involved, so your conveyancer only needs to communicate with your new lender, your existing lender and you. No new searches are needed, which makes it considerably quicker and cheaper than a purchase, there is simply far less work.
Solicitors still have to meet the lender's requirements, so they will check your buildings insurance is valid and in place as part of the transaction.
Compare before you commit
Your estate agent's recommended conveyancer is not automatically the best or the cheapest. Get a second quote. It costs nothing to look.
Call 01225 258900Questions
Your conveyancing questions, answered.
How long does conveyancing take?
A purchase typically takes 8 to 12 weeks from instruction to completion. Local authority searches are the most common cause of delay and depend entirely on the council's speed, in extreme cases they can take as long as 12 weeks on their own.
Can I use any solicitor?
Not for the lender's work. Not every solicitor is on every lender's panel, and if yours is not you may have to switch firms mid-purchase or wait weeks for them to be approved. We only recommend firms that are guaranteed to act for your chosen lender.
When am I legally committed to buy?
At exchange of contracts. Before that either side can walk away. After it, pulling out has legal consequences and you will lose your deposit. You also become liable for the property at exchange, which is why buildings insurance must be in place first.
Is conveyancing cheaper for a remortgage?
Considerably. There is no other party, no searches and far less work. Lenders frequently instruct their own solicitor and cover the cost as part of the deal.
Ready when you are.
Whether you’re arranging a mortgage or protecting what matters, tell us what you need and we’ll explain your options clearly. Your first conversation is free and there’s no obligation.
