Conveyancing FAQs

This will often depend on the price and location of the property. As well as legal fees, there are the costs of searches, Land Registry fees and Stamp Duty to consider. We are always happy to give you an estimate of the likely costs upfront, so you are fully aware of everything and can budget accordingly.

You might also like to take a look at our online calculator for an estimate of the total cost of buying, selling or re-mortgaging your home.

Conveyancing is the transfer of the legal ownership of a property from one person to another.

As part of this process it is necessary to carefully check the title to make sure there are no hidden surprises. In addition, a variety of searches are carried out to make sure everything is as it should be. We will also liaise with your mortgage company where they are providing funds for the purchase.

Once we are sure that everything is in order and that you are happy to proceed we can proceed to ‘exchange contracts’ and fix a ‘completion date’.

This can vary depending on the number of sales involved in the chain, surveys, enquiries and mortgage offers, but the average time is between 6–16 weeks, although it can sometimes be quicker.

Our expert team of conveyancing solicitors will always discuss the approximate length of time it will take to complete the process.

When you buy or sell a property, the buyer and seller each sign a copy of the contract which details the terms of the agreement. Once both parties are happy to proceed and have signed to say so, the contracts are literally ‘exchanged’ between the parties’ solicitors. At this point, the sale and purchase is legally binding on the parties. The contract will also state the completion date.

First time buyers can boost their savings by 25% if they save into a Help to Buy ISA. For every £200 saved, first time buyers receive a government bonus of £50. The minimum bonus is £400 and the maximum bonus £3,000, so there must be at least £1,600 saved before the bonus can be claimed.

Help to Buy ISAs are available from a range of banks, building societies and credit unions. To kick start the account, £1,200 can be deposited in the first month and after that up to £200 per month.

Help to Buy ISAs are available to each first time buyer so those buying with their partner, for example, could receive a bonus of up to £6,000 towards their first home.

The bonus is transferred to the buyer’s conveyancer and is added to the money being put towards the first home (it cannot be used until the day of completion, so you cannot put it towards the deposit payable on exchange of contracts or legal fees etc.).