Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring property ownership from seller to buyer. It is managed by your solicitor or licensed conveyancer, runs in parallel with your mortgage application, and typically takes 10–16 weeks for a straightforward purchase. Understanding what is happening at each stage — and what you can do to keep things moving — makes the experience significantly less stressful.
The conveyancing process — week by week
Once your offer is accepted, instruct a conveyancing solicitor immediately. Do not wait for the formal mortgage offer — your solicitor can start work in parallel. You will need to:
- Sign a client care letter and terms of engagement
- Provide proof of identity (passport or driving licence) and proof of address
- Provide evidence of your deposit source (bank statements) — required for anti-money-laundering checks
- Pay an initial payment on account (typically £300–£500) to cover search fees
Your solicitor will then contact the seller's solicitor, request the draft contract pack, and begin reviewing the title documents.
Your solicitor orders the conveyancing searches — enquiries made to various public authorities about the property and its surroundings. The most important searches are:
- Local authority search: Planning history, road adoptions, enforcement notices, conservation area status, tree preservation orders. Often the slowest search — 4–8 weeks in some areas.
- Environmental search: Flood risk, contaminated land, radon gas levels, landfill sites nearby.
- Water and drainage search: Public sewer locations, whether the property is connected to mains water and drainage.
- Chancel repair search: Rare but occasionally relevant — checks whether the property has a liability to contribute to church repairs.
Simultaneously, your solicitor reviews the official copies of the title register (Land Registry), the property information form (TA6), and the fittings and contents form (TA10) provided by the seller.
After reviewing the contract pack and searches, your solicitor raises enquiries — written questions to the seller's solicitor seeking clarification or additional information. Common enquiries cover planning permissions for extensions, building regulations certificates, boundaries, neighbour disputes, and service charge accounts for leasehold properties.
In parallel, your lender instructs a valuation of the property (often done by a surveyor on their panel). If the valuation satisfies the lender, they issue a formal mortgage offer — a legally binding offer to lend the agreed sum. Your solicitor reviews the mortgage offer and reports on its conditions. Any conditions imposed by the lender (such as retaining funds until specific works are completed) must be satisfied before completion.
Once searches are back, enquiries are satisfactorily answered, and the mortgage offer is received, your solicitor sends you the contract to sign and reports on their findings. You sign the contract (in readiness for exchange — you do not send it yet) and confirm your deposit is in place. You agree a completion date with the other side — the date on which money transfers and you receive the keys.
This is also the point at which you should arrange buildings insurance to start from exchange — once contracts are exchanged, you are legally committed to the purchase and the risk transfers to you.
Exchange is the point at which the sale becomes legally binding. Both solicitors read the contracts to each other over the phone and simultaneously date and send them. You pay your deposit at exchange (typically 10% of the purchase price, though this can be negotiated). The completion date is now fixed and contractually enforceable. If you pull out after exchange without a valid legal reason, you lose your deposit. If the seller pulls out, they must return your deposit and may be liable to pay compensation.
On completion day, your solicitor draws down the mortgage funds from your lender and combines them with your deposit. The full purchase price is sent to the seller's solicitor. Once received and confirmed, the estate agent releases the keys. You are now the legal owner of the property. Your solicitor then registers the change of ownership at the Land Registry (which takes several weeks after completion but does not affect your right to occupy) and pays your stamp duty to HMRC within 14 days.
Exchange vs completion — understanding the difference
The period between exchange and completion is typically 1–4 weeks — time to arrange removals, notify utilities and the electoral roll, and transfer any remaining funds. Some buyers choose to exchange and complete on the same day, which eliminates the interim risk but requires all parties to be fully ready simultaneously — feasible in short chains but logistically complex in longer ones.
Conveyancing costs — what to budget
| Cost | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitor legal fees | £1,200–£2,500 | Varies by property value, complexity, and firm. Online conveyancers often cheaper but less proactive. |
| Local authority search | £100–£350 | Fee set by the local council. Faster personal searches available in some areas for a premium. |
| Environmental search | £40–£80 | Usually a fixed commercial search product. |
| Water and drainage search | £35–£65 | Fixed fee search from water authority. |
| Land Registry fee | £40–£910 | Scaled by purchase price. £40 for properties under £80k; £910 for £1m+ properties. |
| Telegraphic transfer fee | £25–£50 | Per bank transfer — charged by solicitor for sending purchase funds. |
| Stamp duty (SDLT) | Variable | Calculated on purchase price. Use our stamp duty calculator. Must be paid within 14 days of completion. |
| Typical total (excl. SDLT) | £1,700–£3,500 | Budget £2,000–£3,000 as a realistic estimate for a standard freehold purchase. |
The most common causes of delay
Local authority search times vary enormously — from 5 days in digitally advanced councils to 8+ weeks in some areas. This is the single most common source of delay and is entirely outside your control. Some buyers opt for personal searches (conducted by a private company on your solicitor's behalf) which are faster but may not be accepted by all mortgage lenders. Ask your solicitor which search method your lender accepts.
When a seller's solicitor is slow to respond to enquiries — or when the seller themselves cannot locate documents such as planning permissions or building regulations certificates — the process stalls. Pressure from estate agents and direct communication between buyers and sellers can sometimes resolve this faster than waiting for solicitor-to-solicitor correspondence.
Most purchases involve a chain — the seller is buying elsewhere, and that seller is buying elsewhere. If any link in the chain encounters a problem (mortgage offer refused, survey issues, buyer pulling out), every purchase in the chain is affected. Chains of 4+ properties are common and frequently experience delays. Chain-free purchases — buying a new build, a vacant property, or from a seller who is not purchasing onward — complete significantly faster on average.
If your lender's valuation raises concerns (a down-valuation, structural issues, or queries about the property's construction), the mortgage offer may be delayed or issued with conditions. In 2026, some lenders are also applying more scrutiny to flats with cladding or fire safety issues under Building Safety Act requirements — adding additional assessment time for affected properties.
Leasehold purchases — particularly flats — consistently take longer than freehold purchases. Your solicitor must review the lease (which can be lengthy and complex), obtain management information from the freeholder or management company, check service charge accounts, and raise additional enquiries specific to leasehold. In 2026, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 has introduced new rights for leaseholders — your solicitor should check whether any relevant provisions affect the property.
Online conveyancers offering fees significantly below the market rate (under £900–£1,000) often achieve this by handling extremely high volumes of cases with less qualified staff, and being less proactive about chasing delays. For your first home purchase — likely the largest financial transaction of your life — the difference between a £1,400 and a £2,200 solicitor quote is not meaningful relative to the value of the property or the cost of a purchase falling through. Choose a solicitor with good reviews, local knowledge, and a track record of proactive communication.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pull out of a purchase before exchange?
Yes — before exchange, either party can withdraw from the sale without legal penalty. However, you will lose any money already spent (solicitor fees to date, survey fees, mortgage application fee). This can amount to £1,000–£2,500 or more for a sale that falls through. After exchange, withdrawing without a valid legal reason means forfeiting your deposit (typically 10% of the purchase price). This is why buyers should only exchange when they are certain they want to proceed — it is the point of no return.
Do I need a survey as well as the mortgage valuation?
The lender's valuation confirms the property is worth what you are paying — it is for the lender's benefit, not yours, and provides very limited information about the property's condition. Commissioning your own independent survey is strongly recommended for any property that is not a brand new build. A HomeBuyer Report (RICS Level 2 survey, typically £400–£700) identifies visible defects and material issues. A Building Survey (RICS Level 3, £600–£1,500) is more detailed and better suited to older, larger, or unusual properties. Survey findings can be used to renegotiate the price or require the seller to rectify defects before completion.
How long does the Land Registry transfer take after completion?
Your solicitor submits the application to register the change of ownership at HM Land Registry after completion. As of 2026, Land Registry processing times vary significantly — straightforward applications typically complete in 4–10 weeks, but complex applications (first registration of unregistered land, certain leasehold transfers) can take 6–12 months. During this period, your solicitor will have received a priority search protection period that protects your ownership. The delay does not affect your right to occupy or your practical ownership of the property — it is an administrative process.
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