Conveyancing is the legal side of buying, selling or remortgaging a property. It covers everything from checking that the seller really owns what they are selling to transferring the money safely and registering the new owner with HM Land Registry. This guide explains what conveyancing involves, who can do it, what a conveyancer does for buyers and sellers, and how to choose one.
What does conveyancing mean?
To convey property is to transfer it. Conveyancing is the process that makes that transfer legally effective and safe for everyone involved: the buyer, the seller and any mortgage lender. It starts when an offer is accepted, or when you decide to remortgage or change who owns a home, and ends once the new owner is registered.
The work is mostly investigation and paperwork. Your conveyancer checks the title (the legal record of ownership), finds out anything that could affect the property, prepares and agrees the contract, deals with the lender, moves the money and pays any tax due. In England and Wales most of this happens by email, post and secure online portals.
Who can do conveyancing?
Conveyancing for other people is a reserved legal activity, so only regulated professionals can do it. There are three main types:
- Solicitors
- Qualified lawyers regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Many specialise in property, and solicitors’ firms can also help with related matters such as probate, wills or separating couples.
- Licensed conveyancers
- Property law specialists regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
- Chartered legal executives
- Lawyers who are members of CILEx and authorised to carry out conveyancing.
All of them must carry professional indemnity insurance and follow rules on handling client money. Our guide to choosing a conveyancer or a solicitor explains the differences in more detail. Vecta Law is a firm of property lawyers authorised and regulated by the SRA.
What a conveyancer does when you buy
- Checks you. Confirms your identity and where your money is coming from, as anti-money-laundering rules require.
- Investigates the property. Reviews the title and the contract pack from the seller’s solicitor, orders searches and raises enquiries about anything unclear.
- Acts for your lender. Checks the mortgage offer and reports to the lender that the property is good security for the loan.
- Reports to you. Explains what has been found in plain English, so you can decide whether to go ahead, before you sign anything binding.
- Exchanges and completes. Exchanges contracts when everyone is ready, then sends the money on completion day so you can collect the keys.
- Finishes the paperwork. Pays any Stamp Duty Land Tax (or Land Transaction Tax in Wales) and registers you as the owner with HM Land Registry.
Our step-by-step guide to buying a house goes through each stage in detail.
What a conveyancer does when you sell
- Gets your title documents and helps you complete the property information forms, such as the TA6 and TA10.
- Prepares the draft contract and sends the contract pack to the buyer’s solicitor.
- Answers the buyer’s enquiries, with your help.
- Gets a redemption figure from your lender and pays off your mortgage from the sale money at completion.
- Pays the estate agent’s fee if you ask us to, and sends you the balance.
Our guide to selling a house explains each step and how to get ready early.
How much does conveyancing cost?
The cost has two parts. The first is the legal fee, which pays for the conveyancer’s work. The second is disbursements: payments the conveyancer makes for you to other people, such as search fees, the HM Land Registry fee and bank transfer fees. Stamp Duty Land Tax, if it applies, is paid on top.
Our legal fees are fixed and set by the price of the property, and published in full on our pricing page. The fees calculator gives you an itemised quote in about a minute, with no contact details needed.
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A low headline fee can grow once extras are added, such as fees for leasehold, a mortgage, bank transfers or ID checks. Ask for an itemised quote that shows every cost before you instruct anyone.
Can you do your own conveyancing?
You can legally do the conveyancing on your own purchase or sale, but very few people do. If you are buying with a mortgage, your lender will insist on a conveyancer from its approved panel to protect its loan. Even without a mortgage, the checks are detailed, mistakes can be expensive and you would have no insurance to fall back on.
How to choose a conveyancer
- Check they are regulated. You can look up any solicitors’ firm on the SRA register.
- Check they are on your lender’s panel if you need a mortgage.
- Look for the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation.
- Ask for a fixed, itemised quote, and what happens if the sale falls through.
- Ask who will handle your file and how they will keep you updated.
- Read recent reviews.
You don’t need a local firm. Most conveyancing happens by phone, email and online, so you can use a conveyancer anywhere in England and Wales. Searches are ordered from the local council wherever your solicitor is based.
Common questions
As soon as your offer is accepted, or when you put your home on the market if you are selling. Getting started early, especially with ID checks and forms, saves time later.
It depends on the chain, the property and how quickly searches and the mortgage offer come back. Our guide on how long conveyancing takes explains the typical timescales and what slows things down.
Not quite. A conveyancer can be a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer or a chartered legal executive. All are regulated and can handle a property transaction; solicitors can also advise on wider legal matters.
Yes. Each side has its own conveyancer, so that each gets independent advice. The two conveyancers work together to agree the contract and complete the sale.
This guide is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Have a question? Read our FAQs or ask us.
