This guide cannot assess your circumstances or tell you what to do. Sources checked 15 September 2026. Professional editorial review is still required before promotion.
What conveyancing covers
Conveyancing is the legal work involved in transferring ownership. For a buyer, it commonly includes reviewing the contract and title, ordering searches, raising enquiries, reporting important findings, working with a lender, exchanging contracts, completing and registering the change of ownership.
If you are selling
The seller's legal professional gathers title and property information, prepares the contract papers, responds to the buyer's enquiries, agrees the transfer, repays any mortgage and distributes the sale proceeds after completion.
Questions worth asking
- Is the price fixed or based on assumptions?
- Which searches and third-party costs are included?
- Who will handle the transaction day to day?
- How will you report issues found in the legal work?
- How and when will I receive updates?
Compare the whole quote
Ask the provider to separate their legal fee, VAT, taxes, searches and other third-party payments. Check the assumptions and possible supplements for leasehold, new-build, mortgage, gifted funds or other non-standard work. A low headline fee is not a complete comparison if the scope differs.
Searches, valuation and survey
These are different checks. Legal searches provide information held by authorities and other bodies. A mortgage valuation is for the lender. A survey looks at the condition of the property for the buyer. Ask your legal professional and surveyor which checks are appropriate.
Exchange and completion
In England and Wales, an accepted offer is not legally binding until contracts are exchanged. Exchange commits the parties to the transaction and fixes the completion date. Completion is when funds transfer and ownership changes, usually allowing the buyer to collect the keys.
Protect the transfer of money
Property transactions involve large payments and are targeted by fraud. If bank details arrive or change by email, verify them independently using a trusted phone number before sending money. Do not rely only on the message containing the instructions.