UK Conveyancing FAQs: Buyers & Sellers Guide 2026
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Buying, selling or remortgaging a home in England or Wales brings a set of legal steps that most people only encounter once or twice in a lifetime. The language can feel opaque, the timescales unpredictable, and the stakes (often the largest sum of money you will ever move) uncomfortably high.
This page pulls together the questions I hear most often from people going through the process, and answers them in plain English. My aim is to demystify the sequence of events between an accepted offer and the day you get the keys, so you can ask better questions of your conveyancer, spot issues earlier, and understand what each bill or letter is actually for.
If something here doesn't quite match your circumstances, a short phone call with an experienced legal adviser can help you think it through.
Overview
Conveyancing is the name for the legal work that moves ownership of land or property from a seller to a buyer. It covers everything from the moment an offer is accepted through to the transaction being registered at HM Land Registry, and in practice it spans three rough phases: pre-contract enquiries and searches, exchange of contracts, and completion.
During the first phase your conveyancer gathers information about the property, raises questions with the seller's side, checks for issues like planning restrictions or drainage problems, and reviews the title. At exchange, both parties become legally bound to the transaction on a fixed completion date.
On completion day, funds move, keys change hands, and the legal ownership transfers. Remortgages involve a similar but slimmer version of the same work, because the lender changes rather than the owner. The process applies across residential purchases, sales, transfers of equity, and most dealings with registered land in England and Wales.
Key steps
- Instruct a conveyancer early. As soon as your offer is accepted, appoint a conveyancing solicitor or licensed conveyancer. They will send you their client care pack, run identity checks, and request money on account for searches. Getting this done in the first week saves delays later.
- Searches and enquiries. Your conveyancer orders local authority, water and drainage, and environmental searches, and raises pre-contract enquiries with the seller's side. This stage looks for anything that could affect value, use or resale, such as planning issues, flood risk, or rights of way across the land.
- Mortgage offer and survey. If you are borrowing, your lender will issue a formal mortgage offer after its valuation. A separate buyer's survey (homebuyer or full building survey) is strongly worth considering, as it checks the physical condition rather than just the lender's view of value.
- Exchange of contracts. Once searches are back, enquiries are satisfied, and your deposit is ready, contracts are signed and exchanged between the two sides. At this point the transaction becomes legally binding, a completion date is fixed, and pulling out triggers financial consequences set out in the contract.
- Completion and registration. On completion day, the purchase money is sent to the seller's solicitor and keys are released. Afterwards, your conveyancer handles any Stamp Duty Land Tax return, pays any duty owed, and registers the transfer and any new mortgage at HM Land Registry in your name.
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 in the UK?
For a straightforward freehold purchase with no chain, the process often takes around eight to twelve weeks from offer to completion, though timescales vary widely. Leasehold properties, longer chains, and properties with title complications can push this considerably further. Delays often come from search turnaround times at local authorities, mortgage underwriting, or outstanding enquiries rather than the conveyancer themselves.
Q What is the difference between a solicitor and a licensed conveyancer?
A solicitor is qualified across a broad range of legal work and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. A licensed conveyancer is a property law specialist regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Both are qualified to handle residential conveyancing. Solicitors may be preferable where the matter involves wider legal questions, such as a divorce-related transfer or a dispute.
Q When do I pay the deposit on a property purchase?
The deposit, typically ten percent of the purchase price, is paid on exchange of contracts rather than on completion. If you are using funds from a property you are selling at the same time, the deposit from your buyer is usually passed up the chain. Your conveyancer will confirm the exact figure and how it flows through before you sign.
Q What searches will my conveyancer carry out?
Standard searches usually include the local authority search (planning, highways, enforcement notices), water and drainage, and an environmental search covering contamination and flood risk. Depending on location, additional searches may be needed, such as a coal mining, tin mining, or chancel repair search. Your mortgage lender will normally require a specific minimum set.
Q Do I have to pay Stamp Duty on every purchase?
Stamp Duty Land Tax applies to most residential property purchases in England and Northern Ireland above a threshold, with different rates for first-time buyers, additional properties, and non-UK residents. Wales uses Land Transaction Tax instead. Check gov.uk for the current thresholds and rates before you budget, as these are reviewed regularly.
Q What happens if the chain breaks before exchange?
Before exchange, either party can generally withdraw without legal penalty, although you may have already spent money on searches, surveys, and legal fees that you cannot recover. If the chain collapses, your conveyancer can usually hold the file open while you find another buyer or property, rather than starting the entire process from scratch.
Q Can I switch conveyancer partway through the process?
Yes, you can change conveyancer at any point, but you will normally have to pay the first firm for work already done and searches already ordered. Some searches may need to be repeated if the new firm cannot accept the originals. Because switching adds cost and delay, it is worth raising concerns with your current firm first.
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.
- Guidance · UK GovHM Land Registrygov.uk
- Guidance · UK GovStamp Duty Land Tax guidancegov.uk
- Guidance · UK GovHow to buy a home (gov.uk)gov.uk
- Official SourceCouncil for Licensed Conveyancersclc-uk.org
Legal helpline
Unsure what your conveyancer's update actually means?
Conveyancing throws up unfamiliar terms, unexpected bills, and sudden requests for information, often at the worst moment. An experienced legal adviser can help you think through what you are being asked, based on what you describe, so you can respond with confidence.
- Plain-English answers to your specific questions about the process
- Practical perspective on your situation based on what you describe
- What to watch out for at your current stage of the transaction
- Clarity on next steps so you can speak to your conveyancer with confidence
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.