A conveyancing solicitor is the person who turns "offer accepted" into "keys in your hand" — legally. For most UK buyers, conveyancing is the most opaque part of the purchase process: 12 to 16 weeks of email silence punctuated by sudden requests for money and signatures. This guide walks through every stage of what your solicitor actually does, what's happening on the seller's side at the same time, and where the most common delays come from.

The role in one sentence

A conveyancer's job is to make sure that, when you pay your money over and get the keys, you're getting clear, marketable legal title to the property — free from disputes, restrictions or surprises that would affect your ability to live in it, mortgage it, or sell it later. Everything they do flows from that one obligation.

Conveyancing in England and Wales follows a process broadly defined by the Law Society's Conveyancing Protocol. Scotland's system is different (offers become binding much earlier; there's no "exchange" stage) and is handled by Scottish solicitors. This guide covers the England and Wales process — Northern Ireland's is very similar.

Stage 1 — Instruction (week 0)

Once your offer is accepted, you instruct a conveyancing solicitor or licensed conveyancer. Practically that means:

• You receive a client care letter setting out their fees, scope, and complaint procedure (regulatory requirement under SRA/CLC rules).
• You complete ID and source-of-funds checks — passport, proof of address, evidence of where your deposit came from. These are required under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017.
• You pay an initial retainer, typically £200–£300, to cover the upfront searches.
• Your solicitor writes to the seller's solicitor confirming they're acting for you, and asks for the contract pack — the bundle of documents that starts the transaction proper.

Use the conveyancing fees calculator to get a tiered estimate of total fees by price band and complexity. The instruction stage is usually fast — 1 to 3 working days. The longer delays come later.

Stage 2 — Receiving the contract pack (weeks 1–3)

The contract pack from the seller's solicitor contains, at minimum:

• The draft contract of sale — the legal agreement the buyer and seller will eventually sign.
• Office copies (title register and title plan) — proof of who legally owns the property and what it actually covers.
• The Property Information Form (TA6) — the seller's answers to standard questions about the property: boundaries, disputes, planning, alterations, services.
• The Fittings and Contents Form (TA10) — what's included in the sale (carpets, curtains, white goods).
• For leasehold: the lease itself, the Leasehold Property Enquiries form (LPE1), and a management pack from the freeholder/managing agent.
• For new build: the developer's contract, warranty information (NHBC or similar), and snagging schedule.

Your solicitor reviews all of this carefully. Anything ambiguous, missing, or concerning becomes a pre-contract enquiry — a written question sent to the seller's solicitor for clarification. The typical residential transaction generates 15 to 50 enquiries, handled in batches.

Stage 3 — Searches (weeks 2–5)

In parallel with reviewing the pack, your solicitor commissions searches — formal enquiries against third-party databases that turn up things the seller won't necessarily know to disclose. Standard pack on a typical purchase:

• Local-authority search. Planning permissions and refusals on the property, building regulations approvals, road adoption status, contaminated land notices, tree preservation orders, listed-building status. The council can take 1–6 weeks to return this; some councils have backlogs.
• Environmental search. Flood risk, ground stability, radon exposure, contaminated land history, energy infrastructure. Returned by the search provider within 1–3 working days.
• Water-and-drainage search. Where the public sewer runs, where the mains water comes from, who's responsible for maintenance. Important because building over a public sewer requires consent.
• Chancel repair search. Quick check for medieval church-repair liability — often included in environmental search packs nowadays.

Property-specific searches may be added: mining searches in former coal/tin areas, HS2 search in the affected corridor, flood risk report for properties near watercourses, chancel insurance instead of a full search where appropriate. Total search disbursement cost is typically £250–£400.

Stage 4 — Mortgage offer + valuation (weeks 3–6)

While your solicitor is reviewing the pack and running searches, your lender is processing your mortgage application and instructing a valuation surveyor. Your solicitor is the lender's agent here too — when the mortgage offer is issued, it goes to your solicitor, who reviews the conditions and confirms they can be met. Common conditions:

• Solicitor must hold the title deeds and register the lender's charge.
• Solicitor must check the property has appropriate buildings insurance from exchange.
• Solicitor must confirm any specific issues raised by the lender's surveyor have been addressed (e.g. damp investigation, electrical certificate).

If you haven't decided on a mortgage yet, use the affordability calculator to model your borrowing range, then the mortgage repayment calculator for monthly payment scenarios. The stress test calculator tells you what happens if rates rise.

Stage 5 — Enquiries and replies (weeks 4–8)

The exchanges between buyer's and seller's solicitors are the slowest part of most transactions. After the contract pack and searches come back, your solicitor will have follow-up questions — typical examples:

• "The TA6 mentions a conservatory built in 2014 — please provide planning permission or confirm it was permitted development plus building regs sign-off."
• "Local-authority search shows an enforcement notice in 2018 — please confirm it's been complied with."
• "Title plan shows a footpath crossing the garden — does this affect quiet enjoyment?"
• "Leasehold management pack discloses £4,500 service charge dispute — please clarify status."
• "Buyer's lender requires evidence of building regs for the loft conversion."

Each enquiry goes to the seller's solicitor, who asks the seller, who digs through paperwork or contacts contractors, before answering. The round-trip is rarely shorter than 1 week per enquiry batch, and transactions with leasehold, new builds, or older properties can take multiple rounds. Read more about why some take longer in the how long does conveyancing take guide.

Stage 6 — Report on title and signing (weeks 6–10)

Once all enquiries are satisfactorily resolved, your solicitor produces a Report on Title — a written summary of what they've uncovered, plus the contract and Transfer Deed (TR1) ready for signing. The Report on Title typically covers:

• Confirmation of who legally owns the property and whether there are any restrictions.
• Summary of search results and any risks they flagged.
• Mortgage offer status and the conditions to be met by completion.
• Confirmation of the agreed price, completion date, and what's included in the sale.
• For leasehold: a clear summary of lease length remaining, service charges, ground rent, and any restrictive covenants.

You sign the contract and TR1 (Transfer Deed) but they are not yet legally binding — that happens at exchange. At this point you also need to make sure your 10% deposit is in your solicitor's client account ready for exchange (this is the deposit that's released to the seller on exchange — distinct from the larger "deposit" funding your mortgage, which moves at completion). Plan your cash flow with the home buying cost calculator.

Stage 7 — Exchange of contracts (week 10–14)

Exchange is the legal turning point. Both solicitors hold signed contracts and, by phone (using a Law Society "Formula B" or "Formula C" protocol), commit their clients to the transaction. The deposit moves to the seller's solicitor and the completion date is fixed.

Once exchanged, neither party can pull out without a significant financial penalty (typically loss of the 10% deposit if the buyer withdraws). This is also the date buildings insurance must start — you're contractually responsible for the property from exchange even though you don't yet have the keys.

Stage 8 — Completion (typically 1–4 weeks after exchange)

On completion morning, your solicitor sends the balance of the purchase price (your mortgage funds plus the rest of your deposit, minus the 10% already released on exchange) to the seller's solicitor via CHAPS. Once the seller's solicitor confirms receipt, they release the keys — usually via the estate agent — and you're the owner.

The same day, your solicitor:

• Files an SDLT return with HMRC and pays any stamp duty within 14 days (use the SDLT calculator for the figure, or the FTB SDLT calculator if relief applies).
• Pays the Land Registry registration fee from completion funds.
• Sends sale-side proceeds to the seller (after their own outstanding mortgage redemption and estate agent fees are paid).

Stage 9 — Post-completion registration (weeks 14–24)

After completion, your solicitor submits the AP1 application for registration to HM Land Registry along with the TR1, the mortgage deed, and the SDLT5 certificate from HMRC. Land Registry registers you as the legal owner and records your lender's charge over the property. This can take 6 to 26 weeks depending on Land Registry backlogs and the complexity of the title (split title, new lease, transfers of part etc. take longer).

You don't usually need to do anything during this stage. When registration is complete, your solicitor sends you the updated title register and closes the file. For complex transactions or registration delays, our conveyancing fees calculator notes the typical fee implications.

What conveyancers don't do

Conveyancing is a focused legal service. A few things outside its scope that buyers commonly assume are included:

• Surveying the property's condition. Your conveyancer reviews legal documents, not bricks and mortar. You instruct a separate RICS surveyor for that — see the moving costs calculator for typical survey costs.
• Valuing the property. The lender's surveyor checks the value is sensible for mortgage purposes. Your conveyancer takes the price as given.
• Negotiating the price. That's the estate agent's job. If your survey finds issues that warrant a price reduction, you negotiate via the agent, and only the agreed adjusted price reaches your conveyancer.
• Project-managing your move. They handle the legal transaction; you organise removals, utility set-up, and the practical move. The house buying budget planner covers the full move-cost picture.
• Tax planning beyond SDLT. They submit the SDLT return based on the facts you provide and the price agreed. They don't structure your purchase to minimise tax (e.g. ownership structures, gifting arrangements) — that's the territory of a tax adviser or solicitor specialising in private client work.

Solicitor vs licensed conveyancer — which to choose

Both can legally handle property work in England and Wales. The practical differences:

	Solicitor	Licensed conveyancer
Regulator	SRA	CLC
Qualification route	Law degree or equivalent + LPC/SQE	CLC qualification specifically in property law
Scope of practice	Wide — can also advise on probate, wills, divorce, commercial	Narrow — focused on property transactions
Typical pricing	Slightly higher	Slightly lower (10–20%)
Insurance	SRA minimum £2m PI cover	CLC minimum £2m PI cover

For a straightforward freehold residential purchase, a licensed conveyancer is usually fine and often cheaper. For complex matters (divorce sale, probate purchase, mixed-use property, trust ownership), a solicitor is generally preferred because they can advise on the adjacent legal issues without you needing to instruct a second firm.

How much does it cost?

Legal fees for a residential purchase in England and Wales typically run from £950 to £3,000 depending on price, complexity, and tenure. Disbursements (searches, Land Registry, ID checks, bank transfers, indemnity insurance where needed) add another £500–£800. Get a tiered estimate for your specific scenario via the conveyancing fees calculator, and see the full release timing on the when do you pay conveyancing fees guide.

Frequently asked questions

What does a conveyancing solicitor do?

A conveyancing solicitor handles the legal transfer of property ownership in England and Wales. The work covers reviewing title documents and the contract pack, running local-authority, environmental and water searches, raising enquiries with the seller's solicitor, securing mortgage funds, exchanging contracts, completing the purchase, paying stamp duty, and registering the transfer with HM Land Registry.

What's the difference between a solicitor and a licensed conveyancer?

Both can legally handle property transactions in England and Wales. Solicitors are regulated by the SRA and can advise on a wider range of legal matters; licensed conveyancers are regulated by the CLC and specialise in property work. For a standard residential transaction, both deliver the same outcome. Solicitors are sometimes preferred for complex matters involving probate, divorce, trusts or commercial elements.

Do I have to use a solicitor to buy a house in the UK?

You're not legally required to use a solicitor or licensed conveyancer when buying with cash, but virtually all buyers do because the work is technical and the liability for getting it wrong falls on you. When you're buying with a mortgage, your lender will require you to use a conveyancer from their approved panel — DIY conveyancing isn't an option.

Can I choose my own conveyancer?

Usually yes. Estate agents often recommend a firm but you're not obliged to use them. Your mortgage lender must approve the conveyancer (most have a panel of pre-approved firms). If your chosen conveyancer isn't on the lender's panel, you can apply for them to be added or instruct a second firm to act for the lender — which adds £200–£400 of cost.

What searches does a conveyancing solicitor run?

At minimum: local-authority search; environmental search; and a water-and-drainage search. For leasehold, also a management pack search. For new builds and rural properties, additional searches like chancel repair, mining, and HS2 may be added. Total disbursement cost is typically £250–£400.

What is exchange of contracts?

Exchange is the moment the purchase becomes legally binding. Both solicitors swap signed contracts (usually by phone under a Law Society formula) and the buyer's deposit (typically 10% of the price) is released to the seller's solicitor. Once exchanged, neither party can pull out without significant financial penalty. Completion typically follows 1–4 weeks after exchange.

What happens at completion?

On completion day your solicitor sends the balance of the purchase price to the seller's solicitor via CHAPS. Once received, the seller's solicitor authorises release of the keys and you become the legal owner. Your solicitor then files the SDLT return within 14 days, pays any stamp duty, and registers the transfer with HM Land Registry.

What does a conveyancer not do?

They don't survey the property's physical condition (you instruct a separate RICS surveyor), they don't value it for mortgage purposes (the lender does), they don't negotiate the price (the estate agent does), and they don't give general legal advice outside the conveyancing scope.

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Last reviewed: 25 May 2026.