Conveyancing is the name given to the field of law that specialises in the sale and transfer of land and buildings.

Most people in the UK only ever deal with a solicitor when buying or selling property and the solicitor they use is likely to specialise in conveyancing. Nowadays, Licensed Conveyancers, that is to say qualified technicians that are not solicitors but are qualified in the specialisation of buying, selling and transferring land and property on behalf of their clients, are playing a larger part in the conveyancing process. Many solicitors now employ licensed conveyancers to undertake this work on their behalf.

Allowing for local searches, a mortgage valuation and the preparation of a contract for sale, the compilation of the transfer document and the completion statement, a standard house conveyance might easily take 4 - 6 weeks to complete. Sometimes delays will substantially extend this period. It is also quite feasible to fast track the process and exchange and complete within days, but this is very unusual and is normally limited to sophisticated professional investors with no need for a mortgage and a very motivated legal representative!

In any event, it is prudent to employ a suitably qualified person to act in the purchase, sale or letting of your property. If you are planning to buy with the aid of a mortgage then your mortgagee (the lender) will insist that you do so and the conveyancer will probably also act for the mortgagee as well as for yourself. In most cases though, you will pay their fees too.

Conveyancing fees are usually set in accordance with the value of the property being transferred and may vary slightly between conveyancers. In addition to your solicitor’s conveyancing charges, you are likely to incur other costs such as search fees, land registry charges, mortgage arrangement fees, valuation fees and associated costs, dependent on whether you are buying or selling.

Related article: 'What is a Licensed Conveyancer?'

For more information contact us or speak to an advisor on 01628 507477.

Recent posts

Selling up? It’s important to make your house as appealing as possible to potential buyers. Good decorating can help with first impressions, and increase the perceived value of your property.

With the cost of living affecting so many of us, we have made a list of budget-friendly activities and ideas for you.

Moving soon? It's never too early to get organised! Be prepared and avoid unwanted stress by checking out our list of tips to get you ready for moving day.

Inflation simply put, is the increase in the price of something over time. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) tracks the prices of hundreds of everyday items and these items are updated to reflect shopping trends.

We are often asked if it's good advice to consolidate “unsecured” debt (credit cards and loans etc) into your mortgage, the answer is, sometimes

When you’re looking to buy a home, and you own a car, you ideally want to know the rules on parking in the area. Parking rules can be confusing, even for the most experienced of drivers! This is why we have written this blog to help you.

There are several potential sources you can consider when it comes to getting together a deposit to buy a property. Providing proof of the source of your deposit is a key requirement in the application process and will need to be given to both the lender and the solicitor.

Mortgage Prisoners are people who are unable to switch mortgages to a better deal, despite being up-to-date with their mortgage payments.