The Conveyancing Process: What Your Solicitor Actually Does

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from the seller to you. It covers everything from checking the legal title to running searches on the property and local area, raising enquiries with the seller's solicitor, reviewing the contract, and ultimately exchanging and completing on the purchase.

Conveyancing typically takes 8 to 12 weeks for a standard residential purchase, though it can be faster for simple cases and significantly longer for complex ones — leasehold flats, shared ownership, and purchases with chain complications all extend the timeline.

This is the stage most buyers find the most frustrating because it often feels like nothing is happening. Weeks pass between updates. In reality, your solicitor is working through a structured series of checks, and most of the "waiting" time is them waiting for responses from third parties — local councils, the seller's solicitor, search providers, your lender.

This guide explains exactly what's happening, what your solicitor does, how to choose one, what it costs, and how to keep things moving.

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What Is Conveyancing?

Conveyancing is all the legal work needed to transfer ownership of a property. It's a legal requirement for any property purchase in the UK — you cannot buy a house without someone doing the conveyancing.

Who can do conveyancing?

Solicitors. Legally qualified to do conveyancing as part of their broader practice. Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Licensed conveyancers. Specifically qualified for conveyancing. Regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). They do the same work as a conveyancing solicitor but their training is specifically in property law.

DIY conveyancing. Legally possible but strongly discouraged. If anything goes wrong, you have no professional indemnity insurance to fall back on. Most mortgage lenders won't accept DIY conveyancing on purchases anyway.

In practice, most buyers use either a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer. For a standard residential purchase, there's little practical difference between the two — both are qualified, regulated, and insured.

What conveyancing doesn't cover

Your conveyancer handles the legal side of buying the property. They don't:

Survey the property's physical condition (that's a surveyor's job)
Arrange your mortgage (that's your broker's job)
Recommend whether you should buy it (that's your decision)
Negotiate the price (that's between you and the estate agent)

How to Choose a Conveyancer

Online vs local

Online conveyancers are typically cheaper (£500-£1,000 legal fees) and handle everything remotely via email and portals. They process high volumes, use standardised processes, and often operate from call centres. Good ones are efficient and competent. Less good ones can be slow, difficult to contact, and treat each case as one of thousands.

Local firms typically charge more (£800-£2,000 legal fees) but offer a named solicitor you can meet in person, phone directly, and build a relationship with. They may be faster on specific local knowledge — certain councils, common local property issues, or chain complications with nearby transactions.

Which is better? For straightforward purchases, online is usually fine and saves money. For anything complex — leasehold flats, shared ownership, unusual properties, chains involving multiple local parties, inheritance-funded deposits — a good local firm often moves faster because you can actually speak to them.

Panel solicitors vs independent

Your mortgage lender has a "panel" of approved solicitors they work with. You have three options:

Use a panel solicitor who works for both you and the lender (dual representation). This is the most common approach. One firm handles both your legal work and the lender's legal work. Usually cheaper because there's only one fee set.

Use a non-panel solicitor. If your chosen solicitor isn't on the lender's panel, they may still be able to act for you — but the lender will appoint their own separate solicitor at the lender's cost, which is sometimes added to your fees. Some lenders don't allow non-panel representation at all.

Use the lender's recommended conveyancer. Some lenders offer "free legals" or a recommended firm as part of the mortgage deal. These are usually panel solicitors handling high volumes.

Solicitors to avoid

Incentivised recommendations. If your estate agent is pushing a specific solicitor hard, be cautious. Some estate agents receive referral fees from conveyancers, which can incentivise recommendations that aren't in your best interest. You're not obliged to use anyone the agent recommends.

Free legals deals that are too good to be true. Some free-legals offerings via lenders are handled by firms that cut corners on speed or service. Read reviews before accepting. If the fee structure looks unusual, ask what's included and what isn't.

Firms with bad recent reviews. Check Trustpilot, Google reviews, and Review Solicitors. Recent negative reviews about slow communication, unreturned calls, and missed deadlines are red flags.

No-named solicitor. Some online firms won't tell you the name of the specific solicitor handling your case. This often means your case gets passed between multiple paralegals without a single point of ownership.

How to get quotes

Get three quotes minimum. Compare:

Legal fees (the firm's charge for their work)
Disbursements (third-party costs — searches, Land Registry fees, ID checks)
VAT (should be clearly shown)
What's included (some firms charge extras for leasehold work, Help to Buy, etc.)
What's excluded (things that might trigger extra fees later)

Ask specifically: "Is this quote fully inclusive of everything, or are there likely to be additional charges?" Some cheap headline quotes hide extras that bring the total significantly higher.

Online comparison services like Compare My Move, Reallymoving, and Homeward Legal can generate quotes quickly. These are aggregators and may favour certain firms — use them for speed but verify quotes independently.

What Conveyancing Costs

Typical total cost for a standard residential purchase is £1,200 to £2,500 including all legal fees, disbursements, and VAT. Leasehold and shared ownership purchases are usually £300-£800 more.

Breakdown

Legal fees (the solicitor's charge):

Simple freehold: £500-£1,200
Leasehold: £700-£1,500
Shared ownership: £900-£1,800
Help to Buy: £700-£1,500
New build: £800-£1,500

Disbursements (third-party costs):

Local authority searches: £150-£300
Water and drainage search: £50-£100
Environmental search: £30-£80
Chancel repair liability search: £10-£30
Land Registry fee: £20-£910 (based on property value — see below)
Stamp Duty Land Tax: separate, paid on completion, calculated on purchase price
Bank transfer fee: £25-£50
ID verification: £5-£20

Land Registry fee by property value:

Up to £80,000: £20
£80,001-£100,000: £40
£100,001-£200,000: £100
£200,001-£500,000: £150
£500,001-£1,000,000: £295
£1,000,001-plus: £500+

(Fees are reduced by 50% for some electronic submissions.)

Initial payment — what's due upfront

Most conveyancers ask for an initial payment when you instruct them. This is usually £300-£500 and covers:

ID verification
Setting up your case file
Upfront search fees (councils often require payment before starting searches)

The rest of the fees are usually paid on completion, deducted from your deposit funds when they're transferred to the solicitor.

Fixed fee vs hourly

Fixed fee conveyancing is standard for residential purchases. The firm quotes a price for the whole job and that's what you pay, regardless of how much time it takes. This is usually best for buyers because you know what you'll pay.

Hourly billing is more common for complex cases — commercial property, unusual titles, contested purchases. You pay for the time taken, which can become unpredictable. Avoid this for standard residential purchases.

Watch for "no completion, no fee" offers. Some firms offer this — if the purchase falls through, you pay nothing for their legal work. You'd still pay for disbursements already incurred (searches paid to councils don't get refunded). This can be reassuring given that 30% of agreed purchases fall through, but check the small print for what counts as "falling through."

The Conveyancing Process Step by Step

Here's what actually happens during the weeks of conveyancing.

Week 1: Instruction and onboarding

What happens:

You formally instruct your solicitor (sign their terms and conditions)
You pay the initial fee
You complete ID verification (photo ID, proof of address)
Solicitor opens your file and issues a client care letter
They contact the seller's solicitor and request the contract pack

What you do: Provide ID, pay the initial fee, return the signed client care letter.

Week 1-2: Contract pack arrives

What happens: The seller's solicitor sends a pack of documents:

Draft contract
TA6 Property Information Form (filled in by the seller — what fixtures included, any disputes, planning permissions, etc.)
TA10 Fittings and Contents Form (what's staying, what's going)
TA13 Completion Information Form (practical completion details)
Evidence of title (proof the seller owns what they're selling)
Leasehold information pack if applicable (much larger — see below)

What your solicitor does: Reviews the pack, identifies any issues, prepares initial list of enquiries.

What you do: Nothing yet, but expect to review the TA6 form once your solicitor has highlighted anything concerning.

Week 2-3: Searches ordered

What happens: Your solicitor orders the standard property searches:

Local Authority Search. Covers planning permissions, building regulations, roads and adoption, enforcement notices, and conservation issues. Done with the local council — speed varies wildly by council (some return in 5 days, others take 6+ weeks).

Water and Drainage Search. Confirms mains water supply and drainage arrangements, any water pipes or sewers near the property.

Environmental Search. Checks for contaminated land, flood risk, radon gas, landslip, ground stability issues.

Chancel Repair Liability Search. Checks if the property has historical liability to contribute to church chancel repairs (rare but still possible on some properties).

Additional searches (property-specific):

Coal Mining Search (in mining areas)
Tin Mining Search (Cornwall)
Limestone Search (certain regions)
Common land search
HS2 impact search (properties near the HS2 route)

Search timing: Local authority searches are the usual bottleneck. Some councils are fast (under a week), others very slow (6+ weeks). Your solicitor can tell you typical timing for the specific council.

Week 3-6: Enquiries raised and answered

What happens: Your solicitor raises formal enquiries with the seller's solicitor. These cover anything unclear from the contract pack or search results. Common enquiries:

Clarifications on extensions or structural work (planning permission, building regulations sign-off)
Questions about boundaries
Disputes with neighbours
Maintenance agreements for shared drives, roads, walls
Any known issues the seller failed to disclose
Details of fixtures being left
Flood history
Evidence of any recent work (guarantees, certificates)

What your solicitor does: Drafts the enquiries, sends them to the seller's solicitor, chases for responses, reviews responses, raises follow-up questions.

What the seller's solicitor does: Passes enquiries to the seller, gets answers and supporting documents, responds in writing.

What you do: Review enquiries and answers when your solicitor highlights anything relevant to your decision. Sometimes you'll need to consider whether an answer is satisfactory before moving forward.

This is where most of the "weeks of nothing" happens. Enquiries go back and forth, sometimes needing multiple rounds. Seller's solicitor delays cause buyer-side delays. Your solicitor can only work as fast as they get responses.

Week 4-6: Survey results (if applicable) and mortgage offer

Parallel to enquiries, you'd typically have:

Your own survey results (if you booked one). If anything comes up, you may want to raise additional enquiries or renegotiate the price.

Your mortgage offer issued by the lender. Your solicitor needs this to proceed with the lender-side work.

Week 6-8: Contract review and pre-exchange checks

What happens: With enquiries largely resolved and searches back, your solicitor reviews the final contract and prepares a Report on Title for you — a summary of everything they've found, including any concerns or unusual terms.

What your solicitor does:

Produces the Report on Title
Confirms mortgage lender requirements are met
Prepares the transfer deed (TR1)
Requests the exchange deposit from you (typically 10% of the purchase price)
Arranges buildings insurance from exchange date (or confirms you have it arranged)

What you do: Read the Report on Title carefully — it summarises everything about the property. Ask questions about anything you don't understand. Sign the contract. Transfer the deposit funds to your solicitor.

Week 8-10: Exchange of contracts

What happens on exchange day:

Both solicitors confirm they're ready to exchange
Your solicitor confirms your deposit is held
Solicitors formally exchange signed contracts (usually by phone, with an agreed wording)
A completion date is set — typically 1-2 weeks later, sometimes same day

After exchange:

You are legally committed to buy
The seller is legally committed to sell
Pulling out means losing your deposit and potentially being sued
Your solicitor confirms the next steps in writing

Deep dive: Exchange vs Completion →

Week 10-12: Pre-completion

What happens between exchange and completion:

Your solicitor:

Requests the mortgage funds from the lender ahead of completion
Prepares the final completion statement
Conducts final Land Registry pre-completion searches (to check nothing's changed)
Arranges for funds to transfer on completion day

You:

Sign the mortgage deed (the document legally securing the lender's interest in the property)
Transfer any remaining funds to your solicitor
Arrange removals for completion day
Set up utilities, council tax, etc. for the new address

The completion statement: Your solicitor sends a breakdown showing every pound going in and out. Purchase price, mortgage advance, deposit contributions, stamp duty, legal fees, disbursements, and the final amount you need to transfer.

Deep dive: Understanding Your Completion Statement →

Completion Day

What happens:

Morning: Your solicitor requests mortgage funds
Funds arrive, solicitor transfers balance to seller's solicitor
Seller's solicitor confirms receipt
Estate agent releases keys
You collect keys, usually between 12pm and 4pm

Deep dive: Completion Day Timeline →

After completion

What your solicitor does:

Pays the stamp duty to HMRC (within 14 days of completion)
Registers the property transfer and your mortgage with Land Registry
Sends you the title documents once registration is complete (usually 2-8 weeks later)

Leasehold Conveyancing — Extra Complexity

If you're buying a leasehold property (most flats, some houses), the process takes longer and costs more because of additional checks.

Extra documents needed

The seller's solicitor needs to obtain a Leasehold Information Pack from the freeholder or managing agent. This includes:

Copy of the lease
Details of ground rent and service charges
Accounts for the management company
Insurance details
Any planned major works
Consents from the freeholder (if required)

Management packs can be slow — some freeholders charge £300-£600 for the pack and take 4-6 weeks to provide it. This is often a major source of delay in leasehold purchases.

Additional things to check

Lease length. Most lenders require a minimum lease length. Below 80 years remaining causes issues with both lenders and future resale. Below 70 years is a serious problem. Lease extensions before purchase are sometimes negotiable with the seller.

Ground rent. Fixed ground rent is usually fine. Escalating ground rent (doubling every 10-25 years, for example) can make the property difficult to mortgage or resell. Some lenders refuse to lend on properties with problematic ground rent terms.

Service charges. What you'll pay annually for communal maintenance, insurance, building repairs. Check the trend over recent years — sharp increases are a red flag.

Major works. Any planned expensive repairs (new roof, external decorating, lift replacement) can result in large section 20 notices. Confirm none are imminent or that the seller will contribute.

Sinking fund / reserve fund. Money held by the management company for future major works. Healthy funds mean future bills will be lower.

Additional fees

Leasehold conveyancing typically costs £300-£800 more than freehold due to the extra work.

New Build Conveyancing

New build purchases have their own specifics, including developer-specific documentation, management company terms for the estate, warranty registration, and often tight deadlines. See our new build guide → for details on the new build process specifically.

Shared Ownership Conveyancing

Shared ownership adds a layer of complexity because you're buying a percentage from a housing association and paying rent on the remainder. Extra documentation includes the shared ownership lease, staircasing provisions (if you want to buy more shares later), nominations rights for the housing association, and subletting restrictions.

Shared ownership conveyancing typically costs £400-£800 more and takes 2-4 weeks longer than standard purchases.

Common Delays and How to Avoid Them

Slow local authority searches

The single biggest cause of delay. Some councils are fast, some take weeks. You can't control this, but your solicitor should order searches as soon as possible after instruction rather than waiting.

What you can do: Ask your solicitor to order searches immediately at instruction, not after the contract pack arrives. Some solicitors delay searches to save money if the purchase falls through — if your solicitor does this, push back.

Slow enquiry responses from seller's side

The seller's solicitor (and the seller themselves) can take weeks to respond to enquiries. Nothing progresses until they do.

What you can do: Ask your solicitor to chase regularly. If responses are unreasonably slow, you can ask your estate agent to pressure the seller — estate agents usually want transactions to complete and will chase if you ask.

Leasehold management pack delays

Freeholders and managing agents can be slow to issue leasehold packs.

What you can do: Ask the seller to order the management pack before you even agree the purchase — some sellers do this proactively, especially if they've had leasehold sales before.

Mortgage offer delays

If your mortgage application has issues (see the mortgage application guide), conveyancing can't complete until the offer is in place.

What you can do: Stay responsive to your broker, answer underwriter queries quickly, make sure documents are in order.

Chain delays

In a chain, every transaction moves at the speed of the slowest. A delay anywhere in the chain stops everyone.

What you can do: Stay in communication with your estate agent about chain status. If the chain breaks, your position matters — chain-free buyers can move faster to a new transaction.

Survey issues

If your survey reveals problems, negotiations or additional enquiries can add weeks.

What you can do: Book your survey promptly after offer acceptance. The earlier issues are identified, the earlier they can be resolved.

How to Keep Things Moving

Respond quickly. When your solicitor needs something from you — ID, signed forms, payments, decisions — respond within 24-48 hours. Delays on your side are the easiest to fix.

Ask for a timeline. At instruction, ask your solicitor for a realistic timeline with key milestones. If it starts slipping, you'll notice.

Chase gently but regularly. A weekly update request is reasonable. If you're not getting responses, escalate to a partner or complaints process.

Understand what's blocking progress. When delays happen, ask specifically what's being waited on. "Searches with the council" is different from "awaiting enquiry responses from seller." Knowing lets you focus pressure in the right place.

Keep the estate agent in the loop. Agents have leverage with sellers and their solicitors. Use this if the seller's side is slow.

Red Flags With Your Conveyancer

Watch for:

No responses to emails or calls for more than a few days without explanation
Different person handling your case every time you call
Vague updates ("it's progressing") with no specific details
Missed deadlines without explanation
Unexpected additional fees appearing
Refusal to give you copies of documents you're entitled to see
No clear complaints process

If any of these arise, escalate within the firm first (partners or compliance team). If that fails, you can complain to the SRA (for solicitors) or CLC (for licensed conveyancers).

Switching conveyancers mid-purchase

You can switch if things aren't working, but it's disruptive:

You'll pay the original firm for work done to date
New firm has to get up to speed on your case
Typical delay from switching: 2-4 weeks
Only worth doing if the original firm is genuinely obstructing progress, not just slow

Try to resolve issues first. Switching is a last resort.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does conveyancing take?

Typically 8-12 weeks for a standard freehold residential purchase. Leasehold and shared ownership purchases often take 12-16 weeks. Simple chain-free purchases with responsive parties can complete in as little as 6 weeks. Complex cases or long chains can take 6 months or more.

Do I need a solicitor or can I use a licensed conveyancer?

Either works for standard residential conveyancing. Licensed conveyancers specialise in property law and are often cheaper. Solicitors handle broader legal matters but can also do conveyancing. For complex cases (unusual titles, contested purchases, inheritance complications), a solicitor may offer broader expertise.

Can I use the conveyancer my estate agent recommended?

You can, but you don't have to. Estate agents often receive referral fees from recommended conveyancers, which can mean the recommendation isn't purely based on your best interests. Get at least two independent quotes to compare.

Do I pay the conveyancer upfront or at completion?

Both. An initial payment (usually £300-£500) is due at instruction to cover upfront costs like searches. The bulk of the fee is paid at completion, deducted from the funds your solicitor holds.

What are searches and why do they cost so much?

Searches are official checks done with the local council, environmental agencies, and other bodies to uncover anything that could affect the property's value or your legal rights. They cost because the searching authorities charge fees. Your solicitor just passes those fees on.

Can I do conveyancing myself?

Legally, yes. Practically, almost no mortgage lender will accept it on a purchase, and the complexity and risk of errors makes it a bad idea even on cash purchases. The cost savings are small relative to the risk.

What happens if the seller pulls out?

Up until exchange of contracts, either side can pull out without penalty. You'll lose any upfront costs (searches, survey, solicitor initial fees) but nothing else. After exchange, the seller pulling out breaches contract and you could sue for damages — but this is rare because the financial and legal consequences are severe.

Do I need to attend any appointments?

Usually no. Most conveyancing is done remotely via email and document signing. Some firms require a Zoom call for ID verification; others accept photos or electronic ID checks.

Can I speed up my conveyancing?

Somewhat. Respond quickly to your solicitor, book your survey early, get your mortgage offer in place quickly, and ensure documents are ready. You can't speed up external factors (council searches, seller-side responses, chain), but you can avoid adding your own delays.

What's the difference between conveyancing and exchange of contracts?

Conveyancing is the whole legal process from instruction to completion. Exchange of contracts is one specific step within conveyancing where both sides legally commit to the transaction.

Does my solicitor handle stamp duty?

Usually yes. Your solicitor calculates the stamp duty due, collects it from you as part of the completion funds, and pays it to HMRC within 14 days of completion. You don't need to handle this directly unless you have unusual circumstances.

What is a Report on Title?

It's a summary document your solicitor produces near the end of conveyancing, pulling together everything they've found about the property — search results, enquiry responses, title details, mortgage conditions, and any concerns. You should read it carefully before exchange. If anything concerns you, raise it before committing.

Get Your Mortgage in Place Early

Conveyancing can't complete without a mortgage offer. The sooner your mortgage application is submitted and approved, the sooner conveyancing can wrap up.

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Author & Last Updated

Written by a CeMAP qualified mortgage advisor Last updated: April 2026

Last updated: April 2026