19/08/2024
It’s National Moving Day in the UK on 19 August 2024. The annual event takes place at the start of the week that sees the busiest day for home movers, which this year is likely to be Friday 23 August.
It is expected that Friday will see around four times more conveyancing transactions complete than the average moving day, as the August bank holiday provides more time for movers to settle before families return to school and work.
The awareness day hopes to bring together key players in the home moving industry, such as removal firms, estate agents, storage providers and solicitors, as a vehicle to drive positive change in the conveyancing sector.
In honour of the event, in this blog, we explore the role our Residential Conveyancers play in the conveyancing process.
Why do you need a conveyancing solicitor?
A solicitor plays a vital role in a property sale or purchase. Your solicitor will handle the legal side of the property sale or purchase and will also serve as a key point of contact throughout the transaction.
When you are looking to appoint a solicitor for conveyancing, it is worth asking a friend or relative for recommendations. A personal endorsement from someone you trust will yield a better result than Google. Take a look at some of our reviews from previous clients here.
Working with someone you trust and can communicate with is a huge benefit and will ensure the process runs smoothly.
Instructing an experienced conveyancer to oversee the process can save you time, money, and stress as the transaction unfolds.
How much does a conveyancer cost?
Conveyancing fees vary. The overall costs of buying or selling a home depends on various factors, including the type of property (house/flat), the tenure (freehold/leasehold/commonhold), the age of the property (old/new build), the location (relevant to the cost of searches) and its price/value.
Solicitor’s fees for conveyancing on a flat tend to be higher than that charged for conveyancing services on a house as transactions that involve flats are more complex and require more time to be spent on them.
At Russell & Russell, our average legal fee to act on the sale or purchase of a property is £900 plus 20% VAT (£180) (£1,080 inclusive of VAT). We also sometimes charge additional fees for onboarding, ID checks and third-party payments on your behalf.
Our conveyancing services are offered on a fixed-fee basis, rather than hourly rates, to give you much-needed clarity over pricing.
From the outset, we’ll be as transparent and open about the potential costs as possible and let you know at any stage if additional costs are likely.
Read more about our conveyancing fees here. Alternatively, you can call us on 0800 103 2600 or make an online enquiry.
What does a conveyancing solicitor do?
A conveyancer is responsible for various aspects of a property sale or purchase and ensures a transaction runs smoothly in several ways.
Some of the main responsibilities of a solicitor in the conveyancing process includes:
- Contracts. Your conveyancer will prepare, handle, and check all the relevant contracts involved in your property transaction and arrange for the exchange of contracts that makes your sale or purchase become legally binding.
- Dealing with queries. A solicitor guides you through a property transaction by overseeing the process. They advise you on what is likely to happen and answer any queries you might have as the transaction unfolds. A conveyancing solicitor will also raise any enquiries you have with the other party’s solicitor and resolve any queries that arise from the other side.
- Undertaking searches. A key part of a solicitor’s role is undertaking the searches that are required as part of the conveyancing process to obtain more information about the property you are interested in. These include a local authority search, an environmental search and a water and drainage search.
- Liaising with other parties. A conveyancer acts as a key point of contact between buyer, seller and estate agent.
- Preparing documentation. There is a large amount of paperwork involved in conveyancing, which a solicitor ensures is completed correctly.
- Paying stamp duty. A solicitor will arrange for any Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) or Land Transaction Tax (LTT) for properties in Wales to be paid if necessary.
- Dealing with the Land Registry. Your legal representative will arrange to transfer a property title with the Land Registry.
When should you instruct a conveyancer to help with a property sale or purchase?
If you are selling a property, you must appoint a conveyancer once you have accepted an offer on your property.
For buyers, a conveyancing solicitor should be instructed as soon as you have had an offer accepted so that they can start work on the legal side of the transaction.
However, there is nothing stopping you from seeking legal advice earlier on in the conveyancing process. Having a conveyancer ready to start work as soon as you need them can help ensure there are no unnecessary delays.
How long does conveyancing take on a property sale or purchase?
Conveyancing typically takes between eight and twelve weeks to complete, although delays can happen.
Conveyancing Solicitor Near Me
Buying or selling a home requires the assistance of a specialist conveyancing solicitor.
At Russell & Russell, our experienced team of solicitors have been helping clients with property sales and purchases in Bolton, Atherton, Bury, Chester, Farnworth, Horwich and Middleton for many years.
From our offices in the North West, we offer efficient, convenient and cost-effective property services for clients in the local area and across England and Wales.
We are transparent about the costs involved and always provide a written estimate at the outset of a transaction.
The firm is accredited under the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme, which is the recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices.
If you are looking for a conveyancing solicitor to help you with a residential property transaction, our experienced conveyancing solicitors can help.
For more information, or to speak to one of our residential property specialists, please get in touch with Russell & Russell Solicitors. Call us on 0800 103 2600 or make an online enquiry.
Please note that this article is meant as general guidance and not intended as legal or professional advice. Updates to the law may have changed since this article was published.
Please note that this article is meant as general guidance and not intended as legal or professional advice. Updates to the law may have changed since this article was published.