Conveyancing & Solicitors Explained

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one person to another. In England and Wales, this process is handled by a solicitor or licensed conveyancer who acts on your behalf to ensure the property is legally sound, carry out necessary searches, handle the contract, manage the transfer of funds, and register you as the new owner with the Land Registry.

Conveyancing begins when your offer is accepted and ends after completion, when the property is registered in your name. The process typically takes 8 to 12 weeks, though it can take longer in complex cases or when there is a chain of buyers and sellers.

Both solicitors and licensed conveyancers can handle residential property transactions. A solicitor is a qualified lawyer who may specialise in conveyancing among other areas of law. A licensed conveyancer is a specialist property lawyer who focuses exclusively on property transactions.

Both are regulated (solicitors by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, conveyancers by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers) and must carry professional indemnity insurance. The choice between them often comes down to cost and personal preference. Licensed conveyancers tend to be slightly cheaper, while solicitors may offer a broader range of legal expertise if any unusual issues arise during the transaction.

Your conveyancer handles a wide range of tasks throughout the buying process. Here is a breakdown of the key activities:

Property searches: Your conveyancer will carry out a series of searches to uncover any issues that might affect the property or your use of it. These include local authority searches (checking for planning applications, road schemes, tree preservation orders, and conservation areas), environmental searches (flood risk, contaminated land, radon), water and drainage searches, and sometimes mining or chancel repair searches depending on the location.

Title investigation: They will examine the title deeds to confirm the seller's legal right to sell and check for any restrictions, covenants, or rights of way that affect the property. This might include easements (such as a neighbour's right to access a shared drain) or restrictive covenants (such as a prohibition on running a business from the property).

Raising enquiries: After reviewing the contract and supporting documents, your conveyancer will raise enquiries with the seller's solicitor about anything unclear, missing, or concerning. This might include questions about boundaries, planning permissions for extensions, building regulations compliance certificates, or guarantees for work carried out.

Reviewing the mortgage offer: Your conveyancer will review your mortgage offer to ensure the terms are correct and the conditions are met. They may also act for your mortgage lender (known as "dual representation"), which is common for standard residential purchases.

Exchanging contracts: Once all enquiries are resolved and you are ready to proceed, your conveyancer will arrange the exchange of contracts. This involves confirming the terms of the contract over the phone with the seller's solicitor and transferring the deposit.

Completing the purchase: On completion day, your conveyancer transfers the remaining funds to the seller's solicitor, confirms completion, and handles post-completion tasks including paying stamp duty and registering the change of ownership with the Land Registry.

Conveyancing costs comprise the solicitor's fees and disbursements (third-party costs). Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay:

Solicitor's fee: £800 to £1,500 plus VAT (20%). Some firms offer fixed-fee packages, while others charge on an hourly basis. Fixed fees give you certainty, but check what is included — some firms charge extra for dealing with leasehold properties, new builds, shared ownership, Help to Buy, or gifted deposits.

Local authority searches: £150 to £400, depending on the council. Some councils are faster than others — a slow search can hold up the whole process.

Environmental search: £30 to £50 for a standard report.

Water and drainage search: £30 to £60.

Land Registry fees: £20 to £270, depending on the purchase price and whether the application is made electronically.

Stamp Duty Land Tax: Your solicitor submits the return and pays the duty on your behalf, using funds you have provided. The amount depends on the purchase price and whether you are a first-time buyer.

Bank transfer fees: £25 to £50 per transfer. There are usually two or three transfers during the process.

In total, you should budget £1,500 to £3,000 for all legal costs including disbursements and VAT. Leasehold purchases tend to be at the higher end due to the additional work involved in reviewing the lease and management arrangements.

When choosing a conveyancer, consider the following factors:

Reputation and reviews: Check online reviews on Google, Trustpilot, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority website. Ask friends, family, or your mortgage broker for recommendations. A solicitor with consistently good reviews is more likely to provide a smooth experience.

Communication: One of the biggest complaints about conveyancing is poor communication. Ask the firm how they will keep you updated (email, phone, online portal), how quickly they typically respond to queries, and whether you will have a named point of contact.

Experience: Choose a firm with experience handling the type of property you are buying. If you are purchasing a leasehold flat, a new build, or a property through a government scheme, make sure they have specific expertise in those areas.

Panel membership: If you have already chosen a mortgage lender, check that the solicitor is on the lender's panel. Most high-street firms are on most lender panels, but it is worth confirming to avoid delays.

Fixed fee vs hourly rate: Fixed-fee conveyancing gives you certainty, but check what is included. Ask about additional charges for leasehold properties, new builds, or unusual circumstances. Get a full cost breakdown in writing before instructing them.

The conveyancing timeline varies depending on the complexity of the transaction and the responsiveness of all parties. A straightforward freehold purchase with no chain might complete in 8 to 10 weeks. A leasehold purchase in a long chain could take 16 weeks or more.

Common causes of delay include slow local authority searches, unresolved enquiries with the seller's solicitor, missing or outdated documents (such as building regulations certificates), delays in the chain, and mortgage offer conditions that need to be satisfied. You can help speed things up by responding promptly to requests from your solicitor, providing all documents as quickly as possible, and maintaining regular communication.