Mortgage Hub
The legal process of transferring property ownership. What your solicitor does, how long it takes, and what you need to do at each stage.
The legal side of buying
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer. It covers everything from the initial draft contract through to the moment funds are transferred and keys are released. Without it, a property sale cannot legally complete.
The work is carried out by a solicitor or licensed conveyancer, a specialist legal professional. Importantly, both the buyer and the seller appoint their own. Your solicitor acts exclusively for you, not the seller.
You should appoint your solicitor as soon as your offer has been accepted. The earlier they're instructed, the sooner they can start the legal work, and delays in conveyancing are one of the most common reasons property purchases fall through or take longer than expected.
Step by step
Conveyancing follows a broadly consistent sequence, though individual transactions vary. Here's what happens at each stage:
What your solicitor checks
Property searches are official enquiries submitted to various authorities and organisations to reveal information about the property and its surroundings that wouldn't be visible from a physical inspection.
Reveals planning consents, enforcement notices, road schemes, tree preservation orders, and whether any nearby development is planned. Essential for understanding what the local council knows about the property.
Confirms whether the property is connected to mains water and sewerage, and whether any public sewers run beneath the land (which can affect building permissions).
Checks flood risk (from rivers, seas, and surface water), contaminated land registers, ground stability, and radon levels. Particularly important for properties near water or on former industrial land.
Rarely triggers a liability, but checks whether the property falls within an area where the owner could be required to contribute to the repair costs of a local church chancel. Inexpensive to check and worth including.
The total cost of searches is typically £250–£400, depending on the location and any additional searches required.
Budgeting for legal costs
Conveyancing fees have two components: the solicitor's professional fee (their charge for doing the work) and disbursements (third party costs the solicitor pays on your behalf and recharges to you).
The final stages
Exchange and completion are the two most significant milestones in the conveyancing process. It's important to understand the difference between them.
Exchange of contracts is when both parties' signed contracts are swapped by their solicitors. At this point, the transaction becomes legally binding. You pay your deposit (typically 10% of the purchase price, though this can sometimes be negotiated lower). A completion date is set and agreed by all parties in the chain.
Completion is when the remaining funds are transferred and legal ownership passes to you. Your solicitor receives the mortgage funds from your lender, transfers them to the seller's solicitor, and once received, the seller must hand over the keys.
The gap between exchange and completion is typically 1–4 weeks, though it can be shorter or longer depending on what's been agreed. Same day exchange and completion is possible, but carries risks, particularly if there are any last minute issues with fund transfers.
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