In the process of buying your first home? What you need to know about conveyancing

9 April 2026

Buying your first home can be an exciting time, so you don’t want this overshadowed by confusion over the legal process.

As you face the hurdles of securing your mortgage and planning your move, you will also need to begin the conveyancing process.

Getting this stage right is crucial to protecting your interests and ensuring you know as much as you can about the property you’re about to call home.

Our Senior Conveyancing Executive, Louise Brough, explains all the ins and outs of the conveyancing process.

What is conveyancing?

Conveyancing is when the seller transfers ownership of the property to you, the buyer.

It begins once your offer has been accepted and typically takes between eight and 16 weeks, depending on the property chain and mortgage agreements.

The aim is to make sure the property is legally yours and there are no hidden issues that could create obligations or liabilities for you in future.

There is a lot of detail involved and having a solicitor to guide you through this process is essential.

When should you instruct a solicitor?

Once you’ve got the good news that your offer has been accepted, you should look to appoint a solicitor as soon as possible.

They will clearly explain their role and provide a breakdown of their costs, including fees and necessary expenses, such as searches and Land Registry charges.

You will then need to provide identification, proof of address and evidence of where your deposit and purchase funds have come from as part of the Anti-Money Laundering checks that are required.

Preparing these documents early can help save you from delays.

Your solicitor will then ask for some further details about your purchase, such as the agreed price, estate agent information and your mortgage lender.

What will your solicitor do in the conveyancing process?

Your solicitor will protect your interests and aim to give you peace of mind throughout the process.

They will carefully review the contract and legal documents provided by the seller, confirm that the seller has the right to sell and check for any restrictions or conditions that could affect you.

They will also raise enquiries to clarify anything unclear and carry out searches to uncover any potential issues.

Once everything has been reviewed, they will explain their findings in plain terms and advise you on any risks.

If any legal defects or concerns do arise, these will often be resolved through negotiation, if the matters are resolvable.

Property searches and surveys

When you have saved up and found the right house for you, you want to be sure that you know exactly what comes with the property and searches can help support this.

A local authority search will reveal planning permissions and building regulations approvals.

There will also be environmental searches that can reveal risks, such as flood or contamination.

However, searches do not assess the physical condition of the property and arranging a separate survey with a chartered surveyor is highly advisable.

A Homebuyer’s Report or full building survey can help you avoid any costly surprises after you move in.

This will put a magnifying glass on any structural defects, root problems, damp or problems with plumbing and electrics.

Exchange and completion

Once all those checks have been completed and your mortgage offer is in place, you will be ready to exchange contracts.

This is the point where the purchase becomes legally binding and you will usually pay five to 10 per cent of the purchase price on exchange.

Completion normally follows one to two weeks later and on that day, your solicitor will transfer any remaining funds to the seller’s solicitor.

Once this has all been received, it is time to collect the keys to your new home.

What happens after completion?

Even after you have moved in, your solicitor will take care of the final legal steps.

They will submit any Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) return, register you as the new owner with the Land Registry and register your mortgage lender’s legal charge against the property.

However, it is your role to arrange building insurance from the point of exchange, as this is when responsibility for the property passes to you.

How can we support you?

It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed by all the intricacies of conveyancing at first, but we are here to help make the process more manageable.

Our residential property team can support you during the conveyancing process and provide you with reassurance at every stage.

We want to help you buy your first home efficiently and let you feel some relief that all the necessary legal steps have been taken care of.

For further advice or support on conveyancing, get in touch.