Frequently Asked Questions

In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien.

The time frame from first instructing a conveyancer to actually moving into your new home typically takes somewhere between six and twelve weeks. However, it’s important to remember that this is just an average. It really does depend on the chain involved, whether or not you require mortgage finance, the enquiries that are necessary etc. However, we pride ourselves on working fast in order that you can move fast! We know how exciting the prospect of a new home is!

Sometimes, but more and more cases are being handled exclusively over the phone, by post and via email. We are more than happy to work with you however you choose. If vou prefer documents to be sent to you via email and post this is fine, or if you prefer to pop into the office and deal with documentation over a coffee, this is fine too!

Upon receipt if instructions, your conveyancer will give you a contact information sheet providing their telephone number, direct email address and also that of any assistant that helps them. It helps to maintain transparency and reassure the client that everything is going according to plan.

No. You only ever have to pay up front for disbursements, which are monies that the conveyancer has to pay to third parties in order to initiate certain searches that must be carried out before contracts can be exchanged.

Bank transfer fees are charges made by a bank for the privilege of transferring monies, from one party to another through the CHAPS system.

Somewhat confusingly, an office copy is an official copy of the legal title to your property, registered at the Land Registry. It is essentially proof that you own a property.

The Land Registry fee is the money that has to be paid in order for your ownership of a property to be officially recorded by the government. The land registry fees vary on a sliding scale dependent on the value of the property purchased.

Stamp duty is a form of tax that has to be paid to the government by everyone who purchases a property. The stamp duty land tax fees vary on a sliding scale dependent on the value of the property purchased. Properties under £125,000.00 in value are exempt from stamp duty. If you are a first time buyer you may be exempt from paying stamp duty.

Having the necessary searches carried out is an essential part of purchasing a property. Your lender will insist upon searches being conducted, because doing so guarantees the security of theirs and your investment. You would have no reason to avoid having searches carried out, because they cost a fraction of the potential losses that would be incurred, were something untoward to happen as a consequence of neglecting to have the searches conducted. It is at the discretion of cash property buyers whether they have searches carried out as there are no lenders involved with their purchase. This is entirely their choice.

EPC is an initialism that stands for Energy Performance Certificate. It is proof that an assessor has inspected a property and given it an energy rating, based on factors such as insulation, double-glazing and the heating system. The EPC is mainly used to assess how much it would cost to improve the property’s energy performance. An EPC must be in place prior to the property being listed on the open market and this is something that usually your Estate Agent can arrange for you.

This is when the contract becomes legally binding on both buyer and seller (note that merely signing it does not bind either party). A completion date is formally set and if either party should wish to withdraw from the transaction after this point, financial consequences will attach. This is when your sale or purchase becomes ‘safe’.

This is the date when you are able to move into your new home.

How long between exchange and completion can be any time which is mutually agreed between all parties in the chain, although 2 weeks is the most frequent time period, as this gives all parties plenty of time to arrange removals, sign documents, and pack up their home! We will work as quickly as possible to meet any timeframe required.

We deal with the payment of stamp duty to H M Revenue & Customs on your behalf and submit the registration of your transaction to Land Registry. Once Land registry finalise their registration formalities and amend the Title Deeds into your name, we will then forward these to you for your safekeeping. Please note the registration process can take a number of weeks to be finalised.