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Conveyancing for Buyers UK: A Practical Guide

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Part ofConveyancing

Written by Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)
Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice.
Updated June 2026 · England & Wales
Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments most people ever make, and the legal side of it, known as conveyancing, is where things can quietly go wrong if you are not paying attention. I am Brad Askew, and having spent years working across civil and commercial legal matters, I have seen how a misread contract clause or a missed search result can turn a straightforward purchase into months of frustration. This guide walks through what conveyancing actually involves when you are buying, what your solicitor or licensed conveyancer will do on your behalf, and the questions worth asking at each stage. Whether this is your first property or your fifth, knowing what sits behind the paperwork helps you make better decisions and avoid surprises at the point when you are already emotionally committed to the move.

Overview

Conveyancing is the legal work involved in moving ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer. On a purchase, it covers everything from reviewing the draft contract and title documents through to submitting searches with the local authority, raising enquiries with the seller's solicitor, arranging exchange of contracts, and finally completing the purchase and registering you as the new owner at HM Land Registry.

In England and Wales, this work is typically done by a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer. Both are regulated and insured, though they have slightly different professional backgrounds. The process usually runs in parallel with your mortgage application, the seller's own legal work, and any chain above or below you.

Because the buyer carries most of the legal risk, your conveyancer is really there to investigate the property, flag anything unusual, and make sure that what you are buying matches what you think you are buying, before your money leaves your account.

Key steps

  1. Instruct a conveyancer and confirm your funds. Once your offer is accepted, choose a solicitor or licensed conveyancer and return their client care paperwork. You will also need to evidence your identity and the source of your deposit funds, which is part of standard anti-money laundering checks that every firm has to carry out.
  2. Review the contract pack and title. Your conveyancer receives the draft contract, title register, title plan and seller's property information forms. They check the legal ownership, any restrictions or covenants on the title, boundaries, rights of way, and whether the property is freehold or leasehold, raising enquiries with the seller's side where anything needs clarifying.
  3. Order searches and review the mortgage offer. Searches typically include local authority, water and drainage, and environmental checks, plus others depending on location such as mining or flood. Your conveyancer also reviews your mortgage offer against the property details to confirm the lender's conditions can be met before exchange.
  4. Exchange contracts and pay the deposit. Once enquiries are answered, searches are back, the mortgage is in place and a completion date is agreed, contracts are exchanged between the two sides. At this point you pay the deposit, usually ten per cent, and the transaction becomes legally binding on both buyer and seller.
  5. Complete, pay Stamp Duty and register. On completion day the balance is transferred, keys are released, and the property is yours. Your conveyancer then submits the Stamp Duty Land Tax return and payment within the statutory deadline, and applies to HM Land Registry to register you as the new legal owner.

Common questions

If you're dealing with this kind of situation, a call with an experienced legal adviser can help you work out the right next step — from £89.

Common questions

Q How long does conveyancing usually take when buying a house?
A straightforward purchase often takes somewhere between eight and sixteen weeks from offer to completion, though longer chains, leasehold properties and mortgage delays can extend that. Much depends on how quickly the seller's side responds to enquiries and how long search results take to come back from the local authority. Your conveyancer should give you a realistic estimate after seeing the contract pack.
Q What is the difference between a solicitor and a licensed conveyancer?
A solicitor is a qualified lawyer who may handle many types of legal work, including property. A licensed conveyancer specialises in property law and is regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. For a standard residential purchase, either can do the job competently. If your matter involves wider legal issues such as divorce or probate, a solicitor may be better placed to handle the whole picture.
Q What searches will my conveyancer carry out on the property?
Standard searches include a local authority search covering planning history and road adoption, a drainage and water search, and an environmental search covering contamination and flood risk. Depending on the area, additional searches may be sensible, such as coal mining, tin mining or chancel repair. If you are buying with a mortgage, the lender will usually require these searches as a condition of the loan.
Q When do I need to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax?
Stamp Duty Land Tax applies to most property purchases in England and Northern Ireland above a set threshold, with different rates for first-time buyers, additional properties and company purchases. The return and payment are due within a short statutory deadline after completion. Your conveyancer normally handles the filing and payment on your behalf, using funds you send before completion. Rates can change, so check gov.uk for current figures.
Q What is the difference between exchange and completion?
Exchange of contracts is the moment the transaction becomes legally binding. Both sides commit to a completion date, and if either pulls out afterwards there are financial consequences. Completion is the day ownership actually transfers, the balance is paid, and you get the keys. The gap between exchange and completion can range from same-day to several weeks, depending on what the parties agree.
Q Do I need a survey as well as searches?
Yes, these are separate things. Searches are legal checks carried out by your conveyancer. A survey is a physical inspection of the building by a qualified surveyor, looking at condition, structure and any defects. The mortgage lender's valuation is not a survey for your benefit. Most buyers commission at least a Homebuyer Report, and older or unusual properties often justify a full building survey.
Q What happens if something unexpected shows up in the searches?
Issues such as planning breaches, restrictive covenants, access problems or flood risk can appear during the legal investigation. Your conveyancer will explain what they mean and the options available, which might include raising further enquiries, asking the seller to resolve the issue, obtaining indemnity insurance, renegotiating the price, or in some cases walking away. The point of the process is to flag these things before you are committed.
If you're dealing with this kind of situation, a call with an experienced legal adviser can help you work out the right next step — from £89.

Sources

This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.

Brad Askew, Solicitor (non-practising)

Written & reviewed by

Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)

Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.

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Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.