As a Senior Property Lawyer, acting for clients who want to sell or buy their dream home is one of the most exciting parts of the job. However, I hear a lot of common misconceptions about the work we undertake and how the process works.  

“They are all the same”.   

It is certainly not true that all conveyancers are all the same! Some Conveyancers carry out certain types of transactions such as new build, leasehold, equity release, re-mortgage and transfer of equity transactions and their knowledge can vary depending on the type of work they undertake. It is important to think about the transaction you want your conveyancer to carry out for you. When looking for a conveyancer, the key is to look for someone who has experience and offers a high quality of service to handle your transaction correctly and quickly, and make sure you are protected from any legal complexities which may cause you future problems. 

“It’s too costly to use a conveyancer”

Conveyancers’ legal costs vary from firm to firm and will depend on the nature of the transaction. It is important to choose a conveyancer who will be transparent about their fees and to include legal costs, stamp duty and disbursements so that you don’t get hit with hidden charges further down the line.   

Depending on the nature of the transaction, there are some fees that may not be available at the outset such as Notice Fees, Deed of Covenant costs, Certificate of Compliance and Indemnity policies to name a few. However, your conveyancer should communicate with you quickly and clearly if you have to pay any fees you may not have been expecting. 

Paying an experienced conveyancer to handle the sale or purchase of your property gives you the confidence that the transaction has been handled correctly, and that you won’t face any complications further down the line that would cost money to fix.  

“You don’t need my ID”

Conveyancers have a legal duty to help prevent against money laundering, financial crime and mortgage fraud and need to check that you are legally entitled to buy and sell property. Before a transaction even begins, we will need to see evidence of your identity together with evidence of the source of your deposit. These checks can now be done more quickly online by uploading your documents to a secure online portal.  

If you are receiving a gift of funds from a family member, we will also need to see evidence of their identification together with bank statements showing their source of funds.   

“You need to chase conveyancers to get anything done” 

Conveyancing is often a much longer process than people think, with straightforward transactions tending to take 8-12 weeks, and Leasehold transactions taking anywhere between 8-16 weeks from receipt of draft contract documentation. This can also vary depending on the complexity of the transaction.  

During this time, there is a wide range of work we need to carry out such as instructing searches, dealing with enquiries with the other party, lenders requirements and Management Companies to ensure all the legal obligations are met and this can take time depending on how quickly other parties respond.  

Your conveyancer should check in with you regularly and make sure you’re always up to date on your transaction, but rest assured, in those ‘quiet’ periods they will be working hard to get things done for you! 

If you’re looking to buy or sell your home, our team of expert conveyancing lawyers can help get you moving. We will keep you informed at every stage of the process, and are always transparent about fees upfront. If you’d like to speak to one of our team call today or make an enquiry.