We define conveyancing as the legal transfer of property from one owner to another. The key stages are exchange of contracts when everyone knows the transaction will proceed and completion when everyone moves.

There is a lot of legal and administrative work to do before we can exchange contracts and complete.  While the conveyancing process is fairly similar for each transaction, each transaction will be different. So while all the conveyancing solicitors in the chain carry out those legal and administrative checks,  it can be quite stressful.

If you are obtaining a mortgage, a conveyancing solicitor acts on behalf of the buyer and the lender. All the lender’s conditions in the mortgage offer must be dealt with before funds can be requested from them. We therefore urge buyers to check their mortgage offer and ensure any conditions are dealt with as soon as possible. 

Your conveyancer will carry out a range of administrative and legal work to help your house purchase go smoothly. Their responsibilities include: 

• Checking the house title and organising searches for the property
• Understanding your requirements and timescales
• Working with the seller’s solicitors to progress the transaction
• Making enquiries on the buyer’s behalf to iron out any outstanding issues
• Checking the mortgage offer and dealing with special conditions
• Reporting to you and providing key information and documents
• Arranging dates for exchange of contracts and completion
• Preparing for completion
• Preparing a financial statement so you know what funds your conveyancer needs for exchange and completion
• Submitting a tax return and transferring funds for the required stamp duty
• Registering your ownership with the land registry

On average, the conveyancing process takes 2-3 months between instructing a conveyancer and completion of the purchase. It’s important to note however that the length of the process depends on individual circumstances and the number of people involved in the chain.

There are often factors at play that are out of you and your conveyancer’s control. For example, there may be a lengthy onward chain of buyers that could slow the process down significantly. For example, one party in the chain may have trouble obtaining a mortgage, whilst another party may have an adverse survey and want further investigations before proceeding.