What is conveyancing?

When you’re buying or selling property, conveyancing is an essential part of the journey. This legal process ensures the proper transfer of ownership from seller to buyer, and while it might seem complex at first, understanding the basics can make your property transaction much smoother. Let’s look at what conveyancing involves, how long it takes, what it costs, and how to prepare for it.

What Is Property Conveyancing?

Property conveyancing is the legal transfer of home ownership from seller to buyer. It’s not just about paperwork—it involves checking that the property is legally the seller’s to sell, identifying any issues that might affect its value or your enjoyment of it, and making sure all legal requirements are met.

Conveyancing begins after your offer is accepted and continues until the keys change hands. In the UK, conveyancing is usually handled by solicitors or licensed conveyancers who specialise in property law. Their job is to protect your interests and make sure everything is legally sound.

The process works slightly differently for freehold properties (where you own both the building and the land) compared to leasehold properties (where you own the property but not the land it sits on). Leasehold conveyancing tends to be more complex due to the need to review lease terms.

The Conveyancing Timeline: What to Expect

Most property conveyancing takes 8-12 weeks from offer acceptance to completion, though this can vary. The process isn’t always straightforward, and factors like property chains, mortgage arrangements, and search delays can extend the timeline.

Property chains—where multiple buying and selling transactions depend on each other—are a common cause of delays in the UK. If someone in the chain encounters problems, it can affect everyone else involved.

The Pre-Contract Stage

The pre-contract stage is where most of the legal work happens.

Your conveyancer will:

• Request initial paperwork from the seller’s solicitor
• Carry out searches with the local authority, water company, and environmental agencies
• Review the draft contract and raise queries
• Check your mortgage offer details

Property searches are investigations that reveal information about the property that might not be obvious during viewings. They can uncover issues like planning restrictions, flood risks, or drainage problems. These searches are essential as they can reveal problems that might affect your decision to proceed or the price you’re willing to pay.

Exchange and Completion

Exchange of contracts is when the agreement becomes legally binding. At this point, you’ll pay your deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price), and neither party can back out without financial penalties.

Completion is the final stage where the remaining money is transferred, and you get the keys. This often happens 1-2 weeks after exchange, though it can be on the same day.

On completion day, your conveyancer will:

• Transfer the remaining funds to the seller’s solicitor
• Register the change of ownership with the Land Registry
• Pay any Stamp Duty Land Tax due

Once these steps are complete, you’ll receive the keys and officially become the property owner.

Conveyancing Costs Explained

Conveyancing fees vary depending on the property value, complexity of the transaction, and whether you’re buying, selling, or both.

You’ll need to budget for:

• Legal fees charged by your solicitor or conveyancer (£850-£1,500)
• Disbursements – payments your conveyancer makes on your behalf, including:
  • Property searches (£250-£450)
  • Land Registry fees (£200-£500)
  • Bank transfer fees (£25-£50)

If you’re buying a property, you’ll also need to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, which varies based on the property price and whether you’re a first-time buyer or buying an additional property.

Many people assume the cheapest conveyancing quote will save them money, but this isn’t always the case. Lower-cost services might involve less personal attention or result in delays that could cost you more in the long run. It’s worth comparing service levels as well as prices.

How a Mortgage Broker Can Help With Conveyancing

A mortgage broker can be an unexpected ally during the conveyancing process.

While they don’t handle legal work themselves, they can:

• Help coordinate the mortgage and legal processes, ensuring your mortgage offer is issued in time
• Explain how any mortgage conditions affect the conveyancing process
• Recommend reliable conveyancers based on experience
• Chase progress with lenders when delays occur

Mortgage offers are valid for a limited time (usually 3-6 months), so timing is essential. Your broker can help manage this aspect, ensuring your mortgage offer remains valid throughout the conveyancing process.

At Drake Mortgages, we work with a network of reliable conveyancers across the UK and understand how mortgage and legal processes need to align. This can be particularly helpful if issues arise during the conveyancing process that affect your mortgage arrangement.

Next Steps and Preparing for Conveyancing

To prepare for conveyancing and help things run smoothly:

• Instruct a conveyancer as soon as your offer is accepted (or when you put your property on the market if selling)
• Gather your ID documents, proof of address, and evidence of funds for the deposit
• Ask potential conveyancers about their experience with similar properties and their expected timelines
• Stay responsive throughout the process—delays often happen when clients don’t promptly return paperwork

When choosing a conveyancer, ask friends for recommendations or speak to your mortgage broker. Don’t just choose on price—look for someone who communicates well and has experience with your type of transaction.

Remember that good communication can make a huge difference to how smoothly your conveyancing progresses. Check how your conveyancer prefers to communicate (email, phone, etc.) and how often you can expect updates.

If you’d like advice on coordinating your mortgage with the conveyancing process, we’re here to help. Our team at Drake Mortgages can guide you through the entire property buying journey, from mortgage application to completion day.