Conveyancing is the legal process which is conducted when you are buying or selling a property.

It is usually instructed to solicitors or conveyancers whom then draw up contracts, contact the land registry, deal with queries from buyers/sellers and request funds from the mortgage lender. On average, the conveyancing process takes 2-3 months from instructing a conveyancer to completion of the purchase or sale. It’s important to note the length of the process depends on every individual circumstance i.e. number of people involved in the chain etc.

At Richmond Holmes we have seen transactions completed within days, but some with more complexities and many people in the chain can take months.

Your Solicitor/Conveyancer will receive a contract and copies of the legal title which they will then raise enquiries to clarify points and check all is in order. Searches will then be carried out to check there are no adverse matters that will affect the enjoyment of the property or affect your lender’s decision to lend on the property.  Some searches are essential, whilst others are optional. In some cases, a certain search may be required as a condition by your mortgage lender. These are essential searchers;

Local authority – This will provide you with information on things like planning issues, road works and railway proximity, which may affect your use and enjoyment of the property.

Water and drainage – This search reveals matters such as whether the property is connected to public sewers and mains drainage.

Environmental – This will confirm lots of useful information including whether the land is contaminated and prone to flooding.

Once the conveyancer confirms everything is in order and the buyer/sellers are happy to proceed the conveyancer will discuss completion dates. On that date contracts will be formally exchanged which will make it legally binding. Funds will be transferred, and your conveyancer will then deal with post completion formalities such as payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and registration of your ownership.

It is important to choose a conveyancer that you can rely on so to keep the process smooth and efficient, Richmond Holmes have hand-picked a panel of local fully regulated and insured conveyancers that are highly recommended based on service standards.