What happens during conveyancing?
Conveyancing is the legal transfer of property ownership. In England your conveyancer checks the title, orders searches, raises enquiries with the seller's solicitor, reviews your mortgage offer, then handles exchange of contracts, completion, stamp duty and registration with HM Land Registry. Most of the wait is spent gathering information from third parties.
Conveyancing has a reputation for being slow and mysterious. In reality it is a fairly predictable sequence of checks, most of which depend on someone else replying: a council, a water company, a freeholder or the seller. Understanding the sequence helps you tell a normal pause from a genuine problem.
What does a conveyancer actually do?
Your conveyancer's job is to make sure you get good title to the property, that nothing attached to it will cause you problems, and that the money and paperwork move correctly on the day.
They act for you, and if you have a mortgage they usually act for your lender too, which is why they will not ignore issues that affect the property's value or saleability.
Where does the time actually go?
The single biggest variable is how quickly other parties respond. Local authority search turnaround differs from council to council, leasehold management packs can take weeks, and enquiries often go back and forth more than once.
- Waiting for search results to come back.
- Waiting for the seller's solicitor to answer enquiries.
- Waiting for a leasehold management pack from a freeholder or managing agent.
- Waiting for a mortgage offer to be issued after valuation.
- Waiting for everyone in a chain to be ready at the same time.
How can you keep things moving?
You cannot speed up a council, but you can remove every delay that sits with you: return forms the day they arrive, complete identity checks quickly, and send money for searches promptly.
Polite, regular contact helps. Ask what is outstanding, who it is with, and what the next milestone is, then note the answer with the date.
Step by step
- 1
Instruction and checks
You confirm the retainer and complete identity and source-of-funds checks.
- 2
Draft contract pack
The seller's solicitor sends the contract, title documents and property forms.
- 3
Searches ordered
Local authority, drainage and water, and environmental searches are applied for.
- 4
Enquiries raised
Your conveyancer questions anything unclear or concerning in the paperwork.
- 5
Mortgage offer reviewed
Your conveyancer checks the offer conditions can be satisfied.
- 6
Report on title
You receive a written summary of what you are buying and sign the contract.
- 7
Exchange and completion
Deposit is paid at exchange; the balance moves on completion day.
- 8
Post-completion
Stamp duty is dealt with and ownership is registered with HM Land Registry.
Key takeaway
Conveyancing is a chain of dependencies, not a single task. Clear your own actions immediately, ask what is outstanding and with whom, and record the answers.
Frequently asked questions
How long does conveyancing take in England?
Commonly around eight to sixteen weeks, though leasehold properties and long chains often take longer. These are typical ranges rather than guarantees, and your conveyancer can give a better estimate for your transaction.
Do I need a solicitor or can I use a licensed conveyancer?
Either can act for you in England. Licensed conveyancers specialise in property, while solicitors may also handle other legal matters. Your lender will have a panel of firms it is willing to work with.
Can I do my own conveyancing?
It is legally possible in limited circumstances, but most lenders will not accept it, and mistakes can be expensive and hard to undo. Almost every mortgaged purchase uses a qualified conveyancer.
Notes log
Conveyancing generates a lot of short conversations. MyMoveMate lets you log each one with a date and a tag, so you can see at a glance what is outstanding and who owes you an answer.
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