Before you instruct a conveyancing firm, find out who will handle your purchase, what the quoted price includes and how you will receive advice as the transaction progresses.
This guide covers home purchases in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different legal procedures.
Understand who will carry out the legal work
Conveyancing is the legal work involved in transferring property ownership. Buyers commonly instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
Some websites introduce customers to legal firms rather than carrying out the conveyancing themselves. SAM Conveyancing operates a commercial introduction service, alongside property information and quotation forms. Its published terms say it introduces customers to a panel of solicitors and does not carry out the regulated legal work itself.
If you use an introduction service, establish which firm you will instruct, who will advise you and which terms apply. Check the intermediary’s terms as well as the legal firm’s quotation before paying.
Check the firm’s authorisation with its relevant regulator, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority or Council for Licensed Conveyancers. If you need a mortgage, also confirm whether the firm can act for your chosen lender.
Compare the full quotation
Ask for an itemised written quote based on your purchase. It should distinguish the legal firm’s fees from payments to third parties, commonly called disbursements, and show any applicable VAT.
Check whether it includes:
- The legal work for your property type and any mortgage.
- Searches and HM Land Registry fees.
- Identity checks and bank transfers.
- Any additional work already known to be necessary.
Ask what could increase the price, when payments are due and how the firm will tell you about extra charges. A fixed fee covers the work specified in the agreement; check the exclusions.
Also ask what remains payable if the purchase falls through. If a provider advertises “no sale, no fee”, read its conditions, including the treatment of deposits, searches and work outside the main legal fee.
Any property purchase tax due should be budgeted for separately from the firm’s own fee.
Know what the property checks cover
Your conveyancer reviews the contract and title documents, arranges appropriate searches and raises enquiries with the seller’s legal representative.
Ask them to explain findings that could affect your plans, including restrictions on the property’s use, access rights and relevant planning information. Searches have a defined scope, so tell your conveyancer about specific concerns rather than assuming every nearby development or potential problem will be covered.
For a leasehold purchase, discuss the remaining lease term, service charges, any ground rent, planned major works and restrictions in the lease. Ask what these mean for your responsibilities and likely costs.
Legal checks do not replace a survey of the building’s physical condition. A mortgage valuation serves the lender’s purposes and is not a substitute for a home survey. Discuss the appropriate survey with a surveyor, and share significant findings with your conveyancer.
Agree how you will stay informed
Before instructing the firm, ask who will handle your file, who covers their absence and how you can raise questions. Explain any communication needs and ask how often you should expect updates.
Tell the firm about features that may require particular experience, such as a leasehold flat, shared ownership or a known boundary dispute.
Ask for an estimated timetable and an explanation of what could delay it. Progress can depend on other transactions in a chain and on replies from third parties, so an initial estimate is not a guaranteed moving date.
Understand exchange, completion and registration
For a typical purchase agreed subject to contract in England and Wales, an accepted offer is not the same as a binding contract. Exchange of contracts creates the binding commitment to buy and sell. Withdrawing afterwards can have significant financial consequences.
Before authorising exchange, ask your conveyancer to explain unresolved issues, the contractual obligations and the arrangements for funds and completion.
At completion, the purchase funds are transferred and the keys are normally released. Work continues afterwards, including the application to register your ownership with HM Land Registry. Ask the firm to confirm when registration is complete and provide the relevant documents.
