Conveyancing is the legal and administrative work of transferring ownership of a property from a seller to a buyer. If you are buying, selling or remortgaging a home in England or Wales, you will need someone to handle it. The word covers everything from checking the legal title and running searches to exchanging contracts, moving the money and registering you as the new owner at the Land Registry.
It is the part of a move that happens quietly in the background while you are busy packing boxes and arranging removals. Done well, it protects you from buying a problem you cannot see. Done badly or slowly, it is one of the most common reasons a sale drags on or falls apart. For more on that, see why property deals fall through.
1 What conveyancing actually involves
At its heart, conveyancing answers one question. Is it safe and legal for ownership to pass from the seller to the buyer? Your conveyancer works through that on your behalf, checking the legal facts and tidying up the paperwork so the deal is sound.
The work falls into a few broad areas. Your conveyancer investigates the legal title to confirm the seller really owns what they are selling and that nothing odd is attached to it, such as a right of way or a restrictive covenant. They run property searches with the local authority and other bodies to flag issues like planning problems, flood risk or who is responsible for the road outside. They raise enquiries with the other side's conveyancer to clear up anything unclear, often using the standard Law Society forms the seller completes, such as the TA6 property information form and, for a leasehold flat, the TA7. And they handle the money, holding deposits and balances in a protected client account and sending them at the right moment.
If you are buying with a mortgage, your conveyancer usually acts for your lender too, which means they must be on that lender's panel. They satisfy the lender's conditions before any funds are released. It is a mix of legal judgement, careful checking and a great deal of correspondence.
2 Where conveyancing fits in your move
Conveyancing runs alongside the rest of your move and usually starts once a price is agreed. You can instruct a conveyancer as soon as an offer is accepted, and getting in early is one of the simplest ways to keep things moving. Here is the rough shape of it from start to finish.
Once your offer is accepted, or you decide to sell, you appoint a conveyancer and confirm their fees. They send you forms to complete and ask for proof of identity.
The seller's conveyancer prepares a draft contract and gathers the title documents and property information forms. The buyer's side begins reviewing them.
The buyer's conveyancer orders searches and raises enquiries about anything unclear. This is often the longest stage, because it depends on third parties replying.
Your mortgage offer is finalised and any survey is carried out. Your conveyancer checks the offer and reports to you on the property.
Both sides sign, the deposit is paid and the deal becomes legally binding. A completion date is fixed. See exchange and completion explained.
On completion day the balance is transferred, keys are handed over and you move in. Your conveyancer deals with any Stamp Duty and registers the change of ownership at the Land Registry.
A typical freehold sale or purchase takes around 8 to 12 weeks from offer to completion, though a long chain or a leasehold flat can push it well beyond that. Timescales are never guaranteed. For a fuller walk-through, read the conveyancing process, step by step, or see how long conveyancing takes.
3 What does a conveyancer do day to day?
A conveyancer is the professional who carries out all of this for you. The job is to spot problems before they become yours and to keep the transaction on track, handling large sums of money safely along the way. In practice, a typical week on your file might include any of the following.
- Reviewing the legal title and the contract pack for anything unusual
- Ordering and reading searches, then explaining what they mean for you
- Raising and answering enquiries with the conveyancer on the other side
- Checking your mortgage offer and meeting the lender's conditions
- Holding deposit and completion money in a protected client account and moving it at the right time
- Dealing with Stamp Duty where it applies, then registering you at the Land Registry
Clear communication matters as much as legal skill here. The conveyancers who keep buyers, sellers, agents and lenders informed are usually the ones who get deals over the line. If you want more detail on the role, see what is a conveyancer.
4 Who can legally do conveyancing?
In England and Wales, paid conveyancing can only be carried out by a qualified, regulated professional. There are two main types, and both are fully able to handle a standard purchase, sale or remortgage.
- Solicitors, who are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Many also offer wider legal services beyond property.
- Licensed conveyancers, who are property law specialists regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
Both must hold professional indemnity insurance and keep your money in a protected client account, so your funds are safe whichever you choose. Licensed conveyancers are not regulated by the SRA, and solicitors are not regulated by the CLC. They are two recognised routes to the same job, each with its own regulator and code of conduct.
For a straightforward move, either can do the work well. A licensed conveyancer focuses purely on property, while a solicitor may suit you if your move involves other legal matters too. Compare on price, communication and reviews rather than job title.
Conveyancing is regulated for good reason, given the sums involved. You should never let an unregulated firm handle the legal transfer or hold your money. To weigh up your options on cost and service, see how to choose a conveyancer.
5 How much does conveyancing cost?
Conveyancing costs come in two parts. There is the conveyancer's own fee for their work, and there are disbursements, which are payments they make to third parties on your behalf. Together these make up the figure you actually pay.
The professional fee is what the firm charges for its time. Disbursements typically include search fees, Land Registry fees and, where it applies, Stamp Duty. Because these vary by property, price and location, the only reliable way to know your total is to compare quotes for your specific move. For more detail, see how much conveyancing costs and conveyancing disbursements explained.
MoveGuide compares fixed-fee quotes from SRA-regulated solicitors and licensed conveyancers, side by side, free and with no obligation, in about 60 seconds, so you can see the full cost up front.
This guide is general information about how conveyancing works in England and Wales, not legal advice. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different systems, with their own forms, taxes and procedures. Rules, fees and tax thresholds change over time, so always check current rates or get a quote for figures that apply to your move.