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When buying or selling a house you need a conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor, to complete the legal work. From carrying out property checks and reviewing contracts to transferring ownership and managing funds, a conveyancer plays a vital role in helping your move progress smoothly.
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Whether you’re a first-time buyer, home mover, seller or remortgaging a property, one of the first professionals you’ll need to appoint is a conveyancer. They are responsible for managing the legal transfer of property ownership and ensuring everything is completed in accordance with UK property law. Understanding what a conveyancer does can help you feel more confident throughout the process.
In this article:
A conveyancer, or conveyancing solicitor is a legal property professional that specialises in the legal side of moving home. Whether buying, selling or remortgaging, you will need to instruct a conveyancer to complete the legal work of transferring property ownership, on your behalf.
Find out exactly what a conveyancer does by watching our short video.
Duration: 1 minute 42 seconds.
A conveyancer’s role will vary depending on whether you’re buying, selling or remortgaging a property. Throughout the transaction, they’ll manage the legal process, liase with relevant parties and help ensure everything progresses as smoothly as possible.
The table below highlights some of the key tasks a conveyancer may carry out for each type of transaction:
Conveyancer task | When buying a house | When selling a house | When remortgaging a house |
|---|---|---|---|
Property searches | ✓ | ||
Reviewing contracts | ✓ | ✓ | |
Raising enquiries | ✓ | ✓ | |
Redeeming an existing mortgage | ✓ | ✓ | |
Reviewing a mortgage offer | ✓ | ✓ | |
Liaising with the lender | ✓ | ✓ | |
Completing Land Registry updates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Transferring funds on completion | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
While the specific tasks involved, such as property searches, checking mortgage offers, and agreeing on completion dates will vary depending on your circumstances, a conveyancer’s main responsibility is to manage the legal aspects your transaction and help ensure ownership or mortgage changes are completed correctly and efficiently.
Whether you're buying, selling, or remortgaging, our conveyancing experts are here to support you every step of the way. Get a personalised conveyancing quote for your move today.
The conveyancing process is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one person to another. Although every transaction is different, it typically involves reviewing contracts, carrying out legal checks, raising enquiries, arranging searches, exchanging contracts and completing the transfer of ownership.
Your conveyancer will guide you through each stage and ensure all legal requirements are met before the transaction can complete.
Learn more about the conveyancing process, in our what is conveyancing guide.
Whether you’re getting your foot on the property ladder, moving into your forever home, or buying an investment property, you’ll usually need a conveyancer to handle the legal aspects of the transaction. As well as managing the legal work, a good conveyancer can explain complex terminology, identify potential issues and help keep your transaction moving forward.
There are lots of options when it comes to choosing a conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor. Doing your research and checking customer reviews online is a good idea to help you find the right option. When doing your research, it’s worth asking some key questions:
What’s included in the price – and what costs may be extra?
Will I be charged if the sale or purchase falls through?
Will I have a personal conveyancer or solicitor dedicated to my case?
Can I make contact and find information outside of office hours?
How can I keep track of the process?
Both conveyancing solicitors and conveyancers are qualified to handle property transactions and can assist you with the conveyancing for your purchase, sale or remortgage. However, conveyancing is what a conveyancer does day in, day out. Whereas solicitors are likely to work in multiple areas of law.
Conveyancer | Conveyancing Solicitor |
|---|---|
Specialises exclusively in property transactions | Trained across multiple areas of law |
Regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) | Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) |
Focuses primarily on conveyancing matters | May work on conveyancing alongside other legal specialisms |
Typically deals with property transactions day-to-day | Can assist with wider legal matters such as family or commercial law |
For most straightforward property transactions, either a conveyancer or a conveyancing solicitor can provide the legal support you need. The right option for you will often depend on the complexity of your circumstances and the type of expertise you’re looking for.
If your house move is fairly straightforward, choosing a conveyancer can be a smart and budget-friendly option. Conveyancers are experts in handling all the legal details of buying or selling a home. As they focus solely on property transactions, a conveyancer can offer an expert, efficient and cost-effective service compared to a solicitor who may be handling your conveyancing amongst a number of other more complex cases.
At My Home Move Conveyancing, we’ve got you covered, even when things get a little more complicated. We work closely with trusted partners who specialise in handling more complex cases, such as commercial purchases, probate, transfer of equity, or lease extensions. No matter the challenge, we’re here to make your move as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Yes. Many homeowners use the same conveyancer when buying and selling a property at the same time. Doing so can simplify communication and make coordinating both transactions easier.
Using the same conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor can help to streamline the process. They’ll already know you and will be familiar with your circumstances and needs, this can help speed up the process and save you repeating information. Additionally, it can make the transition between the two properties run smoother for you, as they will have a comprehensive understanding of the timelines, requirements, and details for both sides of your move.
An example of how using the same solicitor for both sides of your move can benefit you, is agreeing completion dates with the rest of the chain. Your conveyancer will know which days you can or cannot move, and so can communicate these dates with both your buyer and seller. This not only saves you time, as you only have to speak to one person, however it also means you’re likely to agree a date with the chain quicker, as there will be less back and forth negotiating dates. Find out more about buying and selling at the same time.
Although it’s possible to carry out your own conveyancing in some circumstances, it’s generally not recommended. It takes years to train to be a conveyancer and property transactions involve complex legal documentation, strict deadlines and significant financial risk if mistakes are made.
In addition, if you’re purchasing with a mortgage, your lender will usually require a qualified conveyancer or solicitor to act on their behalf.
For most buyers and sellers, instructing a legal professional provides reassurance that the transaction is being handled correctly.
For more information on DIY conveyancing, read our helpful guide.
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