As part of National Conveyancing week, we've decided to shine a spotlight on our Residential Property team.

Today, we've caught up with Paralegal, Connor Simpson, to find out more about a day in the life of conveyancing.

No two days are the same when working in conveyancing. Every day brings new experiences and opportunities to learn, some positive and some more challenging. It is very fast paced, and strong organisational skills are key.

Every file has its own journey and every client will have their own unique story.

As most people working in conveyancing will tell you, it can be difficult to stick to a solid routine, as there are often surprises popping up to throw you off throughout the day. Arguably, there’s no such thing as a typical day in my job, but I try to keep to a routine as much as possible.

07:00: I start my mornings getting ready and preparing myself for the day ahead. I find it important to take some time to myself to review and reflect before heading into work. As we work hybrid, if I am in the office, I will shortly make my way into the city centre.

08:15: By now, I am logged on and ready to start my day. I like to spend the first 30 minutes of my day having a read through my emails with a cup of tea and check on what has come to us overnight (believe it or not, a lot can happen in this time). This gives me the chance to pick out anything urgent and prioritise my to-do list, and check in with my colleagues. It can be easy to get caught up in the chaos of conveyancing, so being part of a team that is open and friendly helps keep me calm and focussed.

09:00: The conveyancing world begins to open for business around 9am, and I am likely to start receiving my first calls and emails for the day from clients, estate agents, brokers and solicitors. I like to ensure that any completions are at the top of my priority list, and make sure they’re set up and ready to go early on. I am lucky to currently work alongside two senior conveyancers, so there’s a completion almost every day.

10:00: Once the completions are well prepared and ready to be put in motion, I can move on to other urgent matters. Every client is unique and has their own set of needs and priorities, so sometimes I will be racing against the clock to accelerate a mortgage offer that is expiring, or rushing to sort a completion in time for the new owners to get a carpet fitted or couch delivered!

One of the most frustrating things about conveyancing is that not everything is in our control. We’re often waiting on other people, transactions or other factors such as information from local authorities or leasehold information from a management company. I like to dedicate time to chase up anything outstanding and provide our clients with a quick update.

As a paralegal within the conveyancing team, my responsibilities include supporting the senior conveyancers, and to be on hand to assist them as and when they need it.

My day-to-day duties are therefore varied but include preparing draft contract packs ready to send out to the buyers solicitors on a sale, requesting property searches on a purchase, and reviewing and reporting on mortgage offers. I also perform due diligence such as reviewing ID and source of funds, keep clients and estate agents updated as much as possible, manage our online portals and help with any enquiries we receive from potential or existing clients.

12:00: By now, completions are usually starting to cross the finish line and I am able to deliver the good news to our clients. This is the most rewarding part of my job, and I take great pride in being part of such a huge milestone in their lives. I am always thrilled to let our clients know they can pick up the keys to their new home.

14:00: After a lunch break to recharge, I begin post completion formalities on files for the clients that have just completed on their property. While our new homeowners are holding their keys and unpacking boxes, we still have work to do, as we need to register the change of ownership at Land Registry. I can then start sending out completion letters to all parties, submit remaining forms and pay any duties to HMRC, then start to prepare our file ready for our post completion team to submit the application to Land Registry.

On leasehold properties, we need to serve notice on the landlord and/or management companies informing them of completion and comply with any of their post completion requirements.

If the property is unregistered, we have to scan and copy all of the original deeds, some of which can be hundreds of years old! We get them ready to be certified and sent to Land Registry for the first registration of the property. These deeds can come in all different shapes and sizes, so it is not uncommon for my colleagues to find me having a struggle with the photocopier!  

15:30: During the afternoons, I like to look further ahead in the week and look for any upcoming completions so I can start getting them prepared.

I find it really satisfying to prepare a file for completion prior to the agreed completion date. I will request mortgage funds, obtain final searches from Land Registry, obtain redemption certificates for existing charges, prepare completion statements and sort the many bank transaction slips our accounts team will need.

16:00: By now, I am at a point where I can go back to my to-do list and tick off as much as possible.

16:45: As we approach the end of the day and things are starting to calm down, I will look to return any calls I may have missed during the day, take a final look over my emails and review my to-do list for tomorrow.

17:15: By now, I have finished for the day and can head home.

18:30: After a quick catch-up with my family and some dinner, I log on to begin my studies. I am currently enrolled in the Council for Licensed Conveyancers course, so will spend a few hours listening to webinars and reading the course manual.

This is a three year online course that will finish with me becoming a qualified Licensed Conveyancer, so a lot of self-discipline and caffeine is required!

20:30: After a few hours of study and a check over my emails, I am finally ready to start winding down and get some rest, before doing it all again tomorrow!

Learn more about our specialist conveyancing team.

Buying a home is one of the largest financial commitments that most of us ever undertake.

Our specialist team of experienced professionals work within our conveyancing team and will take care of all relevant legal procedures when you are buying a property. We aim to keep you informed at all times and have an open and clear charging policy.

If you'd like to learn more about how we can help you, call today, or make an enquiry.