Conveyancing and property solicitors

Our conveyancing and property lawyers will expertly guide you through the process of moving house, making it as stress-free as possible.

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Call us: 0161 475 7676

What we offer

Handling your house sale or purchase

What is conveyancing?

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of a property from one owner to another and leasing or mortgaging a property.

For a buyer the ultimate aim is to ensure they get the property they want free of any adverse rights or restrictions and for a seller to try to make the transaction as smooth and straightforward as possible.

During the process a conveyancer or property lawyer completes a number of key stages to ensure the property is ready to exchange contracts and complete the transaction.

They also aim to ensure all third parties, e.g. mortgage lenders and estate agents, are up to date to avoid unnecessary delays.

 

The conveyancing process

This is an overview of the conveyancing process for a standard sale and purchase transaction.

It is difficult to provide a timescale for each stage as most of them run simultaneously. An average timescale from instruction to exchange of contracts is 10-12 weeks but this can be shorter in certain cases or longer if there is a chain of transactions.

  • Instructions are taken and ID and source of any funding checked to begin proceedings.
  • The seller’s lawyer obtains details of the property’s title, prepares the contract and sends it to the buyer’s lawyer for approval with supporting documentation including forms completed by the seller.
  • The buyer’s lawyer carries out searches and makes enquiries on the contract. This involves requesting a number of searches e.g. local authority search, and environmental and water searches, to find out more information about the property.
  • The buyer’s lawyer reviews the search results, the title and the contract to raise any concerns or questions with the seller’s lawyer. He/she may also review any legal issues raised by the survey.
  • Once the seller’s lawyer has responded to the enquiries and the buyer’s lawyer and buyer are both happy the contract is approved.
  • The buyer’s lawyer normally also acts for the mortgage lender if the buyer is taking a mortgage and reports to the lender on the title.
  • All parties prepare for exchange of contract. Contracts are signed and exchanged with the other side at which point the completion (moving) date is fixed.
  • The buyer’s lawyer prepares for completion. This includes carrying out final searches and requesting any mortgage advance. Deeds are prepared and sent to the parties to sign.
  • Completion – funds are transferred and keys are handed over. The buyer’s lawyer pays the stamp duty and registers the purchase with the Land Registry.

 

Our conveyancing services

Buying a property

When you purchase a property, you’re required to go through the conveyancing process to ensure all legal requirements are met. We can help.

 

Selling a property

Once you’ve found a buyer, the next step is to instruct a property lawyer (conveyancer) to handle the legal aspects.

 

Remortgages

Legal input is also needed when it comes to remortgaging a property. Our conveyancers can advise you on the process.

 

Transfer of equity

If you want to add or remove someone from the ownership of your home, or change owners entirely, we can help with the legal aspects.

 

Lease extension and freehold purchase

If you own a flat or a house on a leasehold basis, you may have the option to extend the lease or buy the freehold. We can investigate if this is possible for you.

 

Conveyancing solicitor costs

When it comes to costs, we offer a fixed price for our legal fees so that there are no unexpected costs.

There will also be third party costs to pay during the conveyancing process; these are costs which we incur on your behalf for items such as searches and stamp duty. All costs, including those from third parties, will be fully explained to you before any work is carried out.

Read more information about our costs.

Why work with us

Why choose SAS Daniels as your conveyancing and residential property solicitors?

We provide you with a dedicated conveyancer to expertly handle your sale or purchase. We also have a number of highly experienced support staff on hand to assist the conveyancers with your sale or purchase.

We believe communication is key; you are given your conveyancer’s direct dial and email address at the beginning of the process and we will send you regular updates by phone, email and text.

Our team is accredited by the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) which provides house buyers and sellers with assurance that their conveyancer has the right technical expertise and best practice skills to guide them through the conveyancing process.

Our clients value our personal approach and our many positive reviews are testament to our team’s dedication to excellent customer service.

Conveyancing frequently asked questions

View the most frequently asked conveyancing questions that we get at SAS Daniels.
  • How do I choose a conveyancer?

    The best way is by recommendation from a friend, family or trusted advisor. Remember that this is an important transaction and that cheapest is not necessarily best.
  • Do I need a conveyancer for a remortgage?

    You may not do so but your lender will insist that a conveyancer is instructed to protect its interest and ensure it gets security over the property. You will normally have to pay the lender’s fees.
  • When should I instruct a conveyancer?

    If you are selling property, you should instruct a conveyancer before you put your home on the market. On the other hand, if you are planning on buying a house you should instruct a conveyancer as soon as possible after your offer has been accepted. However, it's advisable to start making your selection and getting quotes before making an offer, this way the conveyancer can start the process much earlier.
  • Do I need a conveyancer when selling a house?

    In theory if you don’t have a mortgage you could try to do it yourself, but in practice that is very difficult and if you do have a mortgage the lender will require a conveyancer to protect its interests.
  • What checks does a conveyancing solicitor do?

    The conveyancer checks the legal title to make sure the seller has the power to sell and that the property is not subject to adverse rights or interests. They also carry out searches with local, environmental and other authorities.
  • Do conveyancers check bank statements?

    Yes, usually as part of their compulsory compliance and anti-money laundering checks.
  • How long do conveyancing checks take?

    It varies but usually 4-6 weeks.
  • What documents are needed for conveyancing?

    Documents of title to property, searches and mortgage documentation.
  • Can I use online conveyancing?

    Yes, but the quality of this is often low and communication poor.
  • Do all conveyancers provide a no sale no fee guarantee?

    No - doing so means that the clients whose transaction goes through effectively subsidise those which don’t.
  • What is included in conveyancing fees?

    The cost of the conveyancer’s time and expertise for doing the work. ‘Disbursements’ are added to the fees which are the amounts paid by conveyancers to third parties as part of the transaction - for example search and land registry fees, and SDLT (stamp duty).
  • What are Title Deeds?

    This is the name given to the set of documents that prove the ownership of a property. Nowadays an Office Copy Entry (OCE) is the only document that is considered a Title Deed and it is conclusive on ownership of properties. It is only if a property is unregistered that we require the original deeds.
  • What is a Transfer Deed (TR1)?

    The Transfer Deed (TR1) is the legal document which transfers the ownership of the property from the seller to the buyer. The Transfer Deed must be signed in the presence of independent witness, such as a neighbour or friend, who must state their full name and address next to the client’s signature. If you would prefer to, you can attend your conveyancing firm’s office to have this witnessed by one of the solicitors at the firm.
  • What’s the difference between exchange and completion?

    Contracts are exchanged once there is an agreement between the seller and buyer to sell/buy the property, all aspects of the transaction have been dealt with and a date for completion has been agreed. Once contracts have been exchanged the transaction is legally binding, meaning both parties must complete on a date agreed; however, there still remain some final formalities to be taken care of on the completion date. Once the formalities are complete, the buyer can move into their new home.
  • What is a freehold property?

    A freehold property is one which is owned permanently by a person. There are very seldom any lengthy restrictions and usually an owner can do what they like with freehold properties, subject to planning permission and other legal requirement.
  • What is a leasehold property?

    A leasehold property is one where there is limited ownership for example a person can have a property for 99 years only or 125 years and some leases are as long as 999 years. These are generally flats and maisonettes. They have a lengthy document called a ‘lease’ which states in detail what a person can do with a property and what they cannot. For example, it may state whether pets can be kept in the flat, whether the floor must have carpet, how often the flat must be painted. Leases can also limit the period for which a flat can be rented.
  • When do I get the keys?

    These are usually left with the estate agents (if any) and the buyer collects them once the money has been paid over on the day of completion. If there are no estate agents (or this is not convenient), the seller will hand them directly to the buyer.

Get in touch

Please fill in the contact form and one of our team will be in touch as soon as we can. Our working hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.

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