Residential Conveyancing & Property Solicitors

The buying process from instruction of a solicitor (conveyancer) to completion takes on average 8-12 weeks. This can be dependent on your circumstances – ie if you are a first time buyer or if you have a property to sell, how long the buying chain is etc.

While the process of buying a house can seem daunting and complicated, in a nutshell it involves:

• Get a mortgage in principle – This will give you an indication of what you can borrow before you start the house-hunting process.
• Find your dream home – When you’ve found your perfect property, make an offer!
• Apply for a mortgage – Once your offer has been accepted you can begin the process of applying for a mortgage with your chosen lender.
• Find and instruct a residential conveyancer or property solicitor – They will be able to get the ball rolling with all the legal paperwork and property searches.
• Get a house survey – Although your lender will perform a basic valuation survey to establish the value of the property, you may wish to consider undertaking a more comprehensive building survey to check the overall condition of the property.
• Research removal companies – Although it’s unlikely you’ll know a move date at this stage, it’s useful to contact a few removals companies (if using) to obtain quotes in advance and check availability/lead-times.
• Transfer the deposit – When you’re happy with the results from the searches and surveys, you’ll need to transfer the deposit into your residential conveyancer’s account in preparation for exchanging contracts.
• Exchange contracts – Once everything is in place and both parties are happy to proceed, contracts will be exchanged between the buyer and seller. This means you’ll now have entered a legally binding contract. You may agree a moving date (or completion date) at this stage.
• Complete and move in – Your conveyancer will arrange for the transfer of the rest of the money to your seller’s solicitors, pay any stamp duty land tax on your behalf, and inform the Land Registry. And now the house is all yours and you can pick up the keys to hour new home!

Your home may be the biggest financial investment you ever make, so you want to be sure you are properly protected and guided through a transaction. Different fees apply for different types of transaction. Please see our residential property pricing page for more information.

It isn’t just the cost of the deposit you need to consider before buying a house; there are numerous other fees and charges to pay that also need to be taken into consideration, such as legal fees, mortgage fees, building survey costs, valuation fees, contents and buildings insurance, moving costs and stamp duty land tax (if applicable).

According to recent findings by Uswich, you’ll need to save around £15,000 for the UK average-cost home (outside of London) – assuming a 5% deposit of £10,000 and approximately £5,000 or additional costs.

Pulling out of buying or selling a house before contracts are exchanged is possible, although you need to be aware of the financial implications for doing so. If you pull out of a contract before the contracts have been exchanged then it’s likely you will still have to pay for non-refundable costs such as searches or for the time that your conveyancer/solicitor has already spent on your matter.

If you pull out of buying a house after the contracts are exchanged, you’ll be breaking a legally-binding contract and will be liable for financial penalties. As well as losing the money you’ve already paid out on searches, etc., the main financial penalty to be aware of is that the seller is entitled to keep your full deposit, which is obviously likely to be thousands of pounds! Furthermore, the seller can also claim for any potential losses (such as the house now being valued less than it was due to market depreciation).

Pulling out of a contract for buying a house is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Therefore we strongly recommend you seek legal advice before making any decisions.

Residential conveyancing refers to the legal process of transferring ownership of residential properties, such as houses or flats, from one party to another. This process involves a series of steps and legal procedures to ensure a smooth and legally binding property transaction.

Conveyancing fees is the cost of transferring a property can vary based on many different things, such as the type and value of the property, where it's located, and which company you choose to help you with the transfer. They cover the legal and administrative costs of transferring property ownership.

You can do your own conveyancing, but it's not recommended for most people because it's complicated and could cause legal and financial problems. Conveyancing is a specialised area of law that requires an in-depth understanding of property transactions, legal procedures, and potential pitfalls.

Yes. We have a free comprehensive guide which covers everything you need to know. our free residential conveyancing guide can be found here