Quick answer
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from seller to buyer. Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer handles every legal step between offer accepted and you getting the keys — onboarding, contract review, searches, enquiries, mortgage compliance, exchange, completion, stamp duty, and registration.
For most UK first-time buyers it takes 8–14 weeks, costs roughly £1,200–£2,500 plus disbursements (the fees solicitors pay on your behalf for searches, Land Registry, etc.), and is the single biggest source of post-offer delay. For how this fits into the wider cost of buying, see how much does buying a house cost?
This article uses England and Wales language. The basic shape is similar in Northern Ireland (under SDLT and Land and Property Services). Scotland uses a different legal system: solicitors handle offers via missives, and the deal can become binding earlier than in England and Wales.
What does a conveyancer do?
Most of what they do happens behind the scenes — but it’s worth knowing what you’re paying for.
Confirms your identity and source of funds
Standard onboarding. Photo ID, proof of address, evidence of where the deposit is coming from. Required by law for every property purchase.
Reviews the draft contract pack
The seller's solicitor sends a contract, title documents, fittings list and property information form. Your solicitor reads it and flags anything unusual.
Checks title and ownership
Confirms the seller actually owns the property and has the right to sell it, and identifies any restrictions, covenants or rights of way that affect what you can do with it.
Orders searches
Local authority, water and drainage, environmental, and (depending on the area) mining or chancel checks. Searches reveal things that aren't visible at a viewing.
Raises enquiries with the seller's solicitor
Specific written questions: Why is the boundary uneven? Are there planning permissions? What's covered by the service charge? Both sides exchange answers in writing.
Reviews mortgage offer conditions
Lenders attach conditions to mortgage offers. Your solicitor checks them, satisfies them, and reports back to the lender.
Handles exchange and completion
Coordinates the legal moments where the deal becomes binding (exchange) and where ownership transfers (completion). Money moves through the solicitor on completion day.
Submits stamp duty / LTT / LBTT paperwork
Files the SDLT (England/NI) / LTT (Wales) / LBTT (Scotland) return on your behalf and pays the tax from completion funds.
Registers the purchase after completion
Submits the change of ownership to the Land Registry (or Land and Property Services in Northern Ireland; Registers of Scotland in Scotland). You officially become the legal owner.
The conveyancing process step by step
Twelve stages, in rough order. Some run in parallel (mortgage offer + searches + survey), others have to wait their turn (exchange has to come before completion).
- 1
Instruct your solicitor or conveyancer
Usually within a few days of offer accepted. Earlier is better — it gets searches moving.
- 2
Complete onboarding forms
ID checks, source-of-funds declaration, terms of business, conflict-of-interest checks. The first paperwork your solicitor sends.
- 3
Draft contract pack received
Seller's solicitor sends contract, title, property information form, and fittings/contents list to your solicitor.
- 4
Searches ordered
Your solicitor pays the search fees on your behalf and waits for results. Local authority response times vary widely.
- 5
Mortgage offer reviewed
Once your formal mortgage offer arrives, your solicitor checks the conditions and confirms compliance with the lender.
- 6
Survey issues considered separately
If your survey flags problems, your solicitor and surveyor advise on whether to renegotiate, request repairs, or get a specialist report.
- 7
Enquiries raised and answered
Solicitors exchange written questions and answers. This is often the longest stage and the most common source of delay.
- 8
Report on title sent to you
Your solicitor produces a report explaining what they've found — boundaries, covenants, search results, lease terms (if leasehold), anything unusual. Read it carefully.
- 9
Sign the contract and transfer documents
Once everything's clear, you sign in advance of exchange. Some firms still post documents; many now accept e-signatures.
- 10
Exchange of contracts
Both solicitors swap signed contracts. Your deposit transfers. The deal becomes legally binding. A completion date is fixed.
- 11
Completion
Mortgage funds and balance of the price transfer to the seller's solicitor. Once received, keys are released. The property is legally yours.
- 12
Post-completion registration
Your solicitor submits the SDLT return, pays the tax, and registers the change of ownership. You receive confirmation in the weeks following completion.
For typical timing of each stage, see how long does buying a house take? For a buyer-focused walk-through of the same period, see what happens after an offer is accepted?
What are searches and enquiries?
These are the two biggest information-gathering activities of conveyancing — and the two most common sources of delay.
Searches
Independent checks ordered from third parties:
- Local authority search — planning permissions, building regs, road proposals, conservation status.
- Water and drainage search — public sewer and water connections, who’s responsible for what.
- Environmental search — flood risk, contaminated land, ground stability.
- Other searches — mining, chancel repair, or specific local searches depending on the area.
Enquiries
Specific written questions raised with the seller’s solicitor. Common examples:
- • Were any extensions or alterations done with permission?
- • Are the boundaries the same as the title plan?
- • What’s included in the sale, and what’s not?
- • What does the service charge cover (leasehold)?
- • Are there disputes with neighbours or the freeholder?
Both can reveal issues that need answers before exchange. Sometimes that’s a quick paperwork fix. Sometimes it changes the deal.
What can slow conveyancing down?
Most timeline overruns trace back to one of these. Knowing them upfront makes it easier to spot trouble early.
- Missing ID or source-of-funds documents
Your solicitor can't progress without complete onboarding. Get this in early.
- Slow replies from any side
Buyer, seller, or either solicitor. Conveyancing involves a lot of back-and-forth — the slowest party sets the pace.
- Chain delays
If anyone in the chain stalls (sale fall-through, mortgage delay, financial issue), exchange usually waits.
- Leasehold management packs
For leasehold flats, the freeholder or managing agent must produce a management pack. These commonly take 2–6 weeks.
- Local authority search delays
Some councils return searches in days, others take 4+ weeks. Your solicitor can chase but can't force speed.
- Title issues
Missing certificates, unclear boundaries, restrictive covenants, or short leases sometimes need indemnity insurance, deeds of variation, or further negotiation.
- Mortgage offer conditions
Lenders sometimes attach conditions that need additional information, or a re-valuation, before the mortgage is fully unconditional.
- Gifted deposit paperwork
Lenders need a written gift declaration plus source-of-funds checks on the giver. Often slower than buyers expect.
- Unresolved survey issues
Major findings can prompt renegotiation, retention by the lender, or specialist reports — each adds time.
What first-time buyers should do during conveyancing
Most of conveyancing is in your solicitor’s hands. But eight buyer-side habits make a real difference to the timeline:
- 1Instruct your solicitor early — within a few days of offer accepted, not weeks later.
- 2Return onboarding forms within a day or two. ID, address proof, source-of-funds documents in one folder.
- 3Keep a clear paper trail for your deposit. If any of it is gifted, get the giver's declaration ready.
- 4Read the report on title carefully. Ask about anything you don't understand — that's exactly what you're paying for.
- 5Reply to enquiries promptly. The most common buyer-side delay is forms left unread for weeks.
- 6Keep your broker informed if anything changes (job, income, debts) during conveyancing.
- 7Avoid new credit commitments between mortgage application and exchange — new cards or loans can affect the offer.
- 8Don't assume offer accepted means legally secure. Either side can pull out before exchange.
The HomeReady tools and guides that pair well with this stage:
FAQs
Quick answers to the questions UK first-time buyers most often ask about conveyancing.
What is conveyancing in simple terms?+
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from seller to buyer. It includes everything between offer accepted and the keys being handed over — searches, contracts, enquiries, mortgage compliance, exchange, completion, stamp duty, and Land Registry.
Do I need a solicitor or conveyancer?+
Yes — buying a property always requires a qualified legal representative. A solicitor is a more general legal professional; a licensed conveyancer specialises specifically in property. Both can do conveyancing for a residential purchase. Your lender will usually have a panel of approved firms.
How long does conveyancing take?+
Most UK conveyancing for first-time buyers takes 8–14 weeks from offer accepted to completion. Faster purchases (no chain, ready solicitor, clean mortgage) sometimes finish in 6–8 weeks. Leasehold purchases and longer chains can take longer.
What are property searches?+
Independent checks ordered by your solicitor from third parties. Typical searches include local authority (planning, road schemes, building regs), water and drainage, environmental (contaminated land, flood risk), and — depending on the area — mining or chancel repair. They reveal things you can't see at a viewing.
What are enquiries?+
Specific written questions your solicitor raises with the seller's solicitor. They might cover boundaries, planning permissions, service charge accounts, building works, fittings being left, or anything that isn't clear from the contract pack. Both sides exchange written answers.
When do I exchange contracts?+
Exchange happens once searches are back, enquiries are answered, your mortgage offer is unconditional, and both sides are ready. Up to that point either party can pull out. After exchange, the deal is legally binding and a completion date is fixed.
What happens on completion day?+
Your solicitor sends the mortgage funds and balance of the price to the seller's solicitor. Once they confirm receipt, the seller's solicitor releases the keys via the estate agent. The property is legally yours from that moment.
Why is leasehold conveyancing often slower?+
Leasehold purchases involve an extra party — the freeholder or managing agent — who must produce a management pack covering the lease, service charges, ground rent, accounts and any planned major works. Management packs commonly take 2–6 weeks, sometimes longer.