Conveyancing information

Whether you are selling or buying, it’s a good idea to know what is involved, and to understand how the Conveyancing process works. Our step-by-step guide below explains the different stages of the Conveyancing process for a typical property sale and purchase transaction.

Costs

Conveyancing fees cover the amount you’ll pay to make sure the legal side of buying or selling is handled correctly. Fees can be split into two parts:

Legal fees: This is what the conveyancer or solicitor charges for doing the work.

Disbursements: This is what third parties charge for certain services like searches.

How much are conveyancing fees on average?

Our average conveyancing fees when buying a house range from around £1245 – £1395 plus disbursements. These disbursements could add on up to £500 or even more.

Disbursements can include:

Local Authority Searches
AML & ID checks
Land Registry Fees
Indemnity Insurance

Our average conveyancing fees when selling a house are around £899 – £1299 plus VAT at 20%.

Conveyancing fees for leasehold properties are usually £247 plus VAT more.

Conveyancing fees are usually linked directly to the value of the property.

To get an accurate idea of conveyancing costs for your purchase or sale please click the Instant Quotation button to the right of the screen. All Fees will be subject to VAT at 20%.

Conveyancing process for selling a property

Instruction of a Solicitor
We will confirm instruction by sending you client care documents and terms of business.
Proof of identity checks will be completed, and you will be sent a fittings and contents form and property information form(s) for completion. If the property is leasehold, additional information will be required. You will need to complete requested information and send back to us.
We will obtain official copies of the title register and any other documents required by The Land Registry and details of the amount outstanding on any existing mortgage.
We will prepare the draft contract and supporting contract documentation and send to the buyer’s solicitor.
The buyer’s solicitor will check the contract and supporting contract documentation and raise any pre-contract enquiries with us.
We will work closely with the buyer’s solicitor to answer all enquiries.

Once the buyer’s solicitor confirms they have acceptable results from their searches, are happy with the answers to pre-contract enquiries and are in receipt of a mortgage offer (if any) you and the buyer agree on a completion date and contracts are formally “exchanged” – meaning both parties are legally committed to the transaction.
We will obtain a settlement figure to repay the outstanding amount on any existing mortgage, if applicable. Buyer’s Solicitor drafts a transfer deed and sends to us, we will check the transfer deed and send to you for signature in readiness for completion.
On completion you must vacate the property at a time to be agreed and make arrangements to hand over the keys, this is usually through the estate agent. The buyer’s solicitor will send the proceeds of sale to us, and we will arrange for the keys to be released to the buyer.
We will send the title deeds and transfer deed to the buyer’s solicitor together with an undertaking to use the proceeds of sale to discharge any existing mortgage. We will then make any other payments required. Usually to an estate agent if one was used. We will pay the remaining amount owed on any existing mortgage and take payment for our Conveyancing service costs.
Once all the payments have been made all the remaining money from the sale will be transferred to you, usually by bank transfer on the day of completion.

Conveyancing process for buying a property

Once you have made an offer to the seller and they have accepted you will instruct your solicitor.
If required, we may ask you to arrange for a survey on the property. You will also need to make an application for your mortgage.
We will confirm your instructions by letter setting out the terms of business and estimated costs.
We will contact the seller’s solicitor to obtain the contract pack.
We will check the contract pack and raise any pre-contract enquiries. We will request the necessary searches and obtains a copy of the mortgage offer.
Sellers’s solicitor and the seller will answer any pre-contract enquiries and return these to us.
We will review this and report to you on the contents of the contract pack, pre-contract enquiries, the result of the searches and mortgage offer. You will need to review this report and raise any questions you have and advise us of anything that is unclear.
When you are happy to proceed, arrangements are made for the deposit to be paid to us in readiness for exchange of contracts.
We will discuss with the seller’s solicitor and agree on a completion date. Contracts are formally “exchanged” – meaning both parties are legally committed to the transaction.
We will prepare a draft transfer deed and completion information form and sends these to the seller’s solicitor for completion.

The seller’s solicitor then approves the draft transfer deed, and a final copy is made. This may need to be signed by you before being sent to the seller’s solicitor for signature in readiness for completion.
We will prepare a completion statement, carry out pre-completion searches and apply to the mortgage lender for the mortgage loan (if applicable).
On completion day, the seller vacates the property by the agreed time, and we will send the funds to the seller’s solicitor.
Once the seller’s solicitor confirms receipt of funds, they will release the keys to the estate agent (if one was used) and send the title deeds and transfer deed to us together with an undertaking to repay any existing mortgage.
We will then start the post completion. We will send the stamp duty payable to HMRC.
We receive proof that the seller has paid the outstanding mortgage on the property.
We will then register the property at The Land Registry in your name.
Once The Land Registry confirm that the property register has been updated you will receive a copy of the registered title from The Land Registry. Any documents required by the mortgage lender to be retained by them are sent on by us.