What is conveyancing? Explained for Buyers
This guide will help you understand what is conveyancing, who’s involved and tips on choosing the right Conveyancing Solicitor – choosing a good Conveyancing Solicitor is worth their weight in gold let’s put it that way!
What is conveyancing?
Conveyancing refers to all the legal and administrative work involved when legally transferring home ownership from the Seller to the Buyer. The process starts when your offer on your dream home is accepted and finishes when you receive the keys.
Who does conveyancing?
Conveyancing is under taken by either a Solicitor – a person who is regulated by the Law Society and normally practices all areas of law, or a Licenced Conveyancer – a person who is regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and specialise only in conveyancing. Generally there is no difference between the two types and most Licensed Conveyancers are Solicitors who have converted to Licensed Conveyancer status. One lawyer cannot act for both parties, as this will cause a conflict of interest so therefore both the Buyer and Seller will have to find their own separate legal representative.
Can I do conveyancing myself?
Yes, this is commonly known as “DIY Conveyancing��? and requires a deep understanding of all legal jargon and confidence in dealing with mass amounts of paperwork. It’s advisable to think about this very carefully before committing as it’s a complex and time consuming business.
In reality, conveyancing is seldom carried out by home-buyers primarily due to the fact that many mortgage lenders will insist on employing a solicitor to protect their interest(they don’t want to risk having shoddy conveyancing work), there is a high risk of things going horribly wrong and the other people involved in the chain may not be happy with you doing your own conveyancing and may reject your offer on this basis.
Choosing the right Conveyancing Solicitor
- Listen to friends and family who have recently moved home. Would they recommend their Conveyancing Solicitor?
- Get at least three quotes. This way you will get a solid understanding of costs and will allow you to choose the most competitive quote. Despite this, don’t base your decision purely on cost savings. As said earlier, a good Conveyancing Solicitor is worth their weight in gold compared with one that’s too cheap it’s too good to be true. It is likely too good to be true and the Conveyancing Solicitor will be less proactive in trying to complete the sale and will have many hidden extras.
- Ask for testimonials and check reviews online. It’s a common thing that disgruntled clients complain about poor or non-existent communication and will voice their opinions over the internet. Equally, many happy clients will do the same. Just type the firm’s name into a search engine followed by the keyword “reviews��?.
- How do they answer the phone? If they say your call is important to them, yet have no one to answer your call and stick you straight into a queue, it might be advisable to stay clear – communication is key.
- How will they contact you? Give your preference for how you will be contacted and will you be dealing with the same person in the law firm or be transferred from department to department? Can they also guarantee that your queries will be returned by the end of the day?
- Will your Conveyancing Solicitor ensure you avoid any nasty bill shocks? Make sure you receive a full written breakdown of all the costs involved with a guarantee of no hidden extras.
- Consider a local conveyancer for convenience. If problems do occur then you may need to see your solicitor face to face; this won’t be easy if they’re at the other end of the country.
- Consider how you were treated in your decision process. If you feel you have received good initial contact and the conveyancing solicitor you were speaking with was friendly and helpful then your transaction is likely to go much more smoothly. Conveyancing Solicitors are after all human beings as well!
Need recommendations?
We have been liaising with many Conveyancing Solicitors to complete sales over the past 20 years, and we have built up a rapport with many local solicitors who we will happily recommend to you. If you would like to discuss this or have any other property related matter then don’t hesitate to get in contact with us, we’ll be happy to help.
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