Residential Conveyancing

From buying and selling to remortgaging and establishing a Deed of Trust, residential conveyancing is the legal side of moving house, and we’re here to make it as simple and stress-free as possible.

Our services cover a wide range of transactions, all handled by a friendly team who are here to make the process straightforward. You’ll have a dedicated conveyancer from day one, keeping you updated and offering support whenever you need it.

Wherever you are in England or Wales, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. 

Contact us today to get started.

Our Residential Conveyancing Services

Explore our residential conveyancing services below to find the right support for your move.

Buying

With Bespoke Law Services, your house-buying journey is in safe hands. We’re equipped to guide you through each stage of the process, keeping everything simple, efficient, and stress-free.

And for first-time buyers, we know the first rung on the property ladder can be daunting, which is why we have trusted professionals on hand to make the legalities straightforward.

Selling

Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, or relocating, our friendly team of conveyancers will be on your side from the moment you decide to sell your property.

We’re committed to making this overwhelming time feel calm and manageable. Your paperwork, contracts, exchange, and completion will all be handled with care, and we’ll deal with any additional queries along the way so you always feel informed.

Remortgaging

The term remortgaging often comes up when you’re looking to switch deals, release equity, or consolidate debt.

We specialise in helping homeowners remortgage with ease. We’ll liaise with your current lender, manage the paperwork, and get your new offer over the line, so you can rest assured everything’s in order.

Deed of Trust

Buying a property with someone else, like a partner, friend, or family member, often means restructuring ownership as “tenants in common.” A Deed of Trust is the document that records this, outlining who owns what share of the property.

We make this process as straightforward as possible, clearly stating each person’s percentage of ownership alongside what happens if the property is sold or someone wants to be bought out.

How Much Does Residential Conveyancing Cost?

As a general guideline, our residential conveyancing fees range from £500 to £2,500, but every property transaction is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

Your fee depends on factors such as whether you’re buying, selling, or doing both, the value of the property, whether it’s freehold or leasehold, and any additional requirements such as shared ownership or Help to Buy.

On top of our residential conveyancing fees, you’ll also need to budget for disbursements and other costs associated with your transaction, such as Land Registry fees, search fees, and Stamp Duty where applicable. We’ll always set out these costs clearly so you know what to expect.

For a figure that’s yours, get a personalised residential property conveyancing quote today. We’ll be in touch as soon as possible, typically within 24 hours.

Get started with our residential conveyancing specialists

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How the Residential Conveyancing Process Works

The residential property conveyancing process covers the legal work involved in buying, selling, or transferring a property.

For a typical sale or purchase, the process usually takes around 8-12 weeks. While every transaction is different, the process generally follows these steps.

1

Instruct a conveyancer

Once your offer has been accepted, or you’ve accepted an offer on your property, it’s time to instruct a trusted conveyancer. They’ll open your file and get the process underway.

2

Paperwork and contracts

Your conveyancer will prepare or review the contract and key property documents.

3

Property survey

Although surveys aren’t a legal requirement, they’re recommended when buying a property. A survey can help identify potential issues before you commit to the purchase.

4

Searches and legal checks

Your conveyancer will arrange searches and carry out the necessary legal checks to identify anything that could affect the property or your transaction.

5

Mortgage

If you’re taking out a mortgage, your lender will usually arrange a valuation to assess the property. Once your offer is issued, your conveyancer will review the legal aspects and ensure everything is ready for completion.

6

Buildings insurance

Buildings insurance should be in place before exchange, as you’ll become responsible for the property at this point.

7

Sign and exchange contracts

Once all checks are complete and everyone in the chain is ready, you’ll sign and formally exchange.

8

Complete

On completion day, your conveyancer will arrange for the purchase money and mortgage funds to be transferred. After the seller’s conveyancer confirms receipt, the property is legally yours, and you can collect the keys.

10

Snagging issues

Buyers may discover ‘snags’ or defects after moving in, making it important to understand the developer’s obligations to rectify problems, and including this within the contracts.

For more detail on each stage, see our complete conveyancing procedure guide.

Not every residential conveyancing service follows the same process. Remortgaging and Deeds of Trust are generally more straightforward than buying or selling a property, as they don’t usually involve a chain or exchange.

Find out more about these processes on our dedicated remortgaging and Deeds of Trust pages.

Why Choose Bespoke Law for Residential Conveyancing?

Moving house can be overwhelming and emotional. It’s a time of excitement, ambiguity, and…lots of paperwork.

We’re not just here to guide you through the legal aspects of moving home, but to provide clear advice and support along the way. Our team is made up of real, friendly professionals committed to making your journey as easy and stress-free as possible.

Whether you’re buying or selling property anywhere across England or Wales, we can provide expert advice from start to finish. Ready to get started? Contact us today to discuss our residential conveyancing services.

Frequently Asked Questions About Residential Conveyancing

Despite the jargon, these two terms have relatively simple meanings: 

  • Freehold means you own the property and the land it stands on.
  • Leasehold means you own it for a set period, but the land is owned by a separate freeholder.

For example, a detached house with its garden will typically be freehold, but a city-centre flat is often leasehold. This is because you own your individual flat for the duration of the lease, while the freeholder generally owns the building’s structure and the land it’s built on.

In terms of residential property conveyancing, leasehold transactions can involve more paperwork, additional checks, and higher fees than freehold transactions. They may also take longer, as your conveyancer needs to carefully review the lease for service charges, ground rent, building insurance, and any restrictions affecting the property.

There are several reasons why a residential conveyancing transaction can take longer than expected.

Some of the most common causes of delays include:

  • Waiting for mortgage arrangements: Delays can occur while waiting for a valuation, survey, or formal mortgage offer to be completed.
  • Missing or incorrect information: Incorrect details on mortgage applications, missing paperwork, or incomplete information can slow things down.
  • Gifted deposits and source of funds: If you’re using a gifted deposit, your conveyancer may need additional information about the source of funds before you can proceed.
  • An expiring mortgage offer: If your mortgage offer is close to expiring, you may need to arrange an extension, which could cause delays.
  • Other parties in the chain: If someone else in the property chain isn’t ready to exchange, the rest of the chain may have to wait.
  • Delays signing documents: Failing to return contracts or other documents may hold up the transaction.
  • Title defects: Problems with the property’s title, like missing rights, restrictions, or discrepancies, may need to be investigated.

In residential conveyancing, the following searches are carried out to identify any potential issues that could impact your decision to buy:

  • Title search
  • Local authority search
  • Environmental search
  • Water and drainage search
  • Chancel repair search (optional)
  • Land Registry search
  • Planning search (optional)

For more information on each, explore our guide on what searches are done when buying a house. 

If there’s no chain, the process can take as little as four weeks, but the average time is 8-12 weeks.

You don’t need to use a residential conveyancer near you, as most of the process can be handled remotely.

This means you can choose one based on their experience, service, and fees rather than simply their location. At Bespoke Law Services, we work with clients across England and Wales, providing support throughout your transaction wherever you’re based.

You can usually use the same conveyancer or law firm to handle both the sale of your existing property and the purchase of your new home. In fact, doing so may make the process easier to manage, particularly if your sale and purchase are connected as part of a property chain.

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