Conveyancing Solicitors

What does a conveyancing solicitor actually do?

We handle the full legal side of moving home, whatever stage of the journey you’re at: buying a house, selling a house, buying and selling at the same time, remortgaging, buying a leasehold property, transferring equity, or buying to let. In every case, the job is the same — to protect your legal position, uncover anything that could cause a problem before you’re committed, and get you to completion as smoothly as possible.

The conveyancing process, step by step

1. Instruction — we take your instructions and gather the property information we’ll need to get started
2. Investigation — we review the title documents and carry out property searches (typically local authority, water and drainage, and environmental searches), and draft or check the contract
3. Mortgage and financial arrangements — we liaise with your mortgage lender, if you have one, and report to you on the results of our investigations
4. Exchange of contracts — you and the other side’s solicitors exchange signed contracts, creating a legally binding agreement and fixing your moving date; a deposit (typically around 10% of the price) is usually paid at this point
5. Completion — the balance is transferred, you collect the keys, and we pay any Stamp Duty Land Tax due and register the change of ownership with the Land Registry

What conveyancing costs

There are two types of cost involved in moving home. Legal costs are what you pay your solicitor for their work, usually based on the value of the property, and you should always be told this figure upfront — be wary of any quote with a very low headline fee that hides extra costs in the small print. “Disbursements” are costs paid to third parties on your behalf, such as search fees and Land Registry fees, which your solicitor pays and then recovers from you as part of their bill.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)

Stamp Duty Land Tax is a tax charged on residential property purchases in England and Northern Ireland, and must be paid within 14 days of completion. Rates changed from 1 April 2025:

• Up to £125,000 — 0%
• £125,001 to £250,000 — 2%
• £250,001 to £925,000 — 5%
• £925,001 to £1.5 million — 10%
• Over £1.5 million — 12%

If you already own a property and are buying an additional one, an extra 5% typically applies on top of the standard rate. First-time buyers benefit from relief: no SDLT on the first £300,000 of the price, and 5% on the portion between £300,001 and £500,000 — the relief doesn’t apply above £500,000. In Wales, Land Transaction Tax (LTT) applies instead of SDLT, at different rates and thresholds, and must be paid within 30 days of completion; we’ll confirm exactly what applies to your purchase.

Other property services we offer

Alongside standard buying and selling, we also help with transferring ownership of a property outside a sale (for example following separation, divorce, or a gift to a family member), and with remortgaging when you want to switch to a better deal or release equity from your home.

Related Services

• Get a conveyancing quote Conveyancing Quote
• Get an instant conveyancing quote online Conveyancing Quote Online
• Formally transfer ownership of a property Transfer of Title
• Remortgage your home Remortgaging
• Buy a property at auction Buying at Auction
• Buy a property to let or invest in Investment and Buy to Let Properties
• Understand your position as a leasehold owner Leasehold Properties