House Purchases and Sales

Frequently Asked Questions


What is Conveyancing?

Conveyancing is the process by which title to a property is transferred or amended. It can take the form of a purchase of new property, a sale of existing property, a remortgage of existing property or a transfer of title for tax purposes amongst others. The actual process varies dependent on the type of conveyancing involved.


What is the Lawyer's role?

The Lawyer's role is to act as an adviser. Typically, buying or selling your house is amongst the most stressful activities that you can do and the Lawyer's role is to answer queries and act as the liaison between the client and other involved parties, e.g. mortgage broker, estate agent and/or lender. In short, the Lawyer's role is to ensure that the transaction completes on the date when it is supposed to complete with the least hassle for the client.


What costs are involved?

The fees that are charged are dependent on the type of conveyancing involved and the level of risk (i.e. – the lower the purchase or sale price, the lower the fee). There are, however, other costs which are payable to third parties and, again, these vary dependent on the type of conveyancing. For example, in a purchase there may be Stamp Duty Land Tax and/or Registration Dues payable and these again vary dependent on the level of the price. The Solicitor acting on your behalf will be able to give a detailed breakdown of the expected costs at the beginning of the transaction.


How long does the whole process take?

Again, the length of time that the transaction takes depends on the type of transaction and the parties involved. Typically, a sale or purchase will take between 6 and 8 weeks to complete (dependent on the agreed dates of entry) and a remortgage between 2 and 4 weeks.


What is the estate agent's role?

The role of the estate agent is to facilitate a sale of your property at the best possible price. They will act as the liaison between prospective purchasers and yourself and will be responsible for marketing the property for sale, arranging viewings and dealing with any offers that are made.


Do I need an estate agent?

Is it possible for a seller to advertise their property for sale themselves. However, it is advisable to use an estate agent as the estate agent typically has access to better marketing outlets and to a database of potential purchasers.


What costs are involved?

The costs are split across sales commission, a marketing package and viewing costs and these vary on a case by case basis. Our typical sales commission is 1% plus VAT of the sale price, but this is subject to negotiation, particularly if we are also handling the conveyancing. Marketing packages start from as little as £195 and vary dependent on the level of package that the seller feels best suits their needs (our agents will discuss this with you). We can also arrange to handle any viewings for you and these are typically charged on a block basis per half hour slot.


How do I go about arranging a valuation of my property?

We are happy to organise a valuation of your property for free. Please contact our estate agency department for more information.