What Is a Conveyancer and What Do They Do When You Buy?

You have found a home you love, your offer has been accepted and your mortgage is moving along. Then someone says you need to instruct a conveyancer, and it is quite natural to wonder: what is a conveyancer, and why do you need one at all?

The short answer is that a conveyancer looks after the legal side of buying or selling a property. They make sure the home you are paying for is really yours to buy, that nothing nasty is hiding in the paperwork, and that your money and the legal ownership change hands safely on the day you move.

At Chatsworth Mortgage Group we work alongside conveyancers on almost every purchase, so we know where things run smoothly and where they stall. This guide explains what a conveyancer does, how they differ from a solicitor, what the process looks like, what it costs and how to choose a good one.

What is a conveyancer?

A conveyancer is a legal professional who specialises in property transfers. The word conveyancing simply means the legal process of moving ownership of land or property from one person to another. In England and Wales it covers buying, selling, remortgaging, transferring equity and registering ownership with HM Land Registry.

When you buy a home, your conveyancer checks the legal title, reads the contract, carries out searches, raises questions with the seller’s side, reports back to you and your lender, and then handles the exchange of contracts and completion. They also deal with Stamp Duty Land Tax and the Land Registry registration afterwards.

Think of them as the person who reads all the small print so that you do not have to, and who is accountable if something is missed.

Conveyancer or solicitor: what is the difference?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the confusion is understandable because both roles can do the work.

• A licensed conveyancer is regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and specialises purely in property law.
• A conveyancing solicitor is a qualified solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who handles property transactions and may also cover wider legal matters such as wills or family law.
• Both must carry professional indemnity insurance and are bound by strict rules about client money.

For a standard purchase either can do an excellent job. A conveyancing solicitor may be a better fit if your situation is unusual, for example if there is a probate element, a complicated lease or a company involved. What matters most is that the person handling your case is properly regulated, experienced and easy to reach.

What does a conveyancer actually do?

Although every transaction is different, most follow a similar pattern. Here is what happens once you instruct one.

Identity and money checks

Your conveyancer has to verify your identity and the source of your deposit before they can act. This is a legal requirement designed to stop fraud and money laundering, so be ready to provide ID, proof of address and bank statements. Gifted deposits need a signed letter from the person giving the money. If you would like to know what to gather first, read our guide to the documents needed for a mortgage, because many of them overlap.

Reviewing the contract pack

The seller’s conveyancer sends a draft contract, the title deeds and a set of standard forms that describe the property, what is included in the sale and any known disputes. Your conveyancer reads these carefully and explains anything that matters in plain English.

Carrying out searches

Searches reveal things you cannot see from the front door. A local authority search shows planning history, road schemes and building regulation records. A drainage and water search shows whether the property is connected to mains services. An environmental search looks at flood risk and contaminated land. Depending on the area, there may also be searches for mining, chancel repair liability and more.

Raising enquiries

If something in the paperwork is unclear, such as a missing building regulations certificate for an extension, your conveyancer will ask the seller’s side for answers. This stage can take time, but it is where problems are caught before they become yours.

Reporting to you and your lender

Your mortgage lender wants to be sure the property is good security for the loan, so most lenders require your conveyancer to act for them as well as for you. The conveyancer sends a report on title to the lender and helps meet any conditions attached to your mortgage offer. We explain how the offer works in our article on a mortgage in principle versus a mortgage offer.

Exchange of contracts

Once everyone is happy, contracts are signed and exchanged. From this point the purchase is legally binding, and you normally pay your deposit. The completion date is fixed at this stage. If you pull out after exchange, you can lose your deposit and may face further costs.

Completion and registration

On completion day your conveyancer sends the remaining funds to the seller’s side, and you get the keys. Afterwards they pay any Stamp Duty Land Tax due, which must usually be done within 14 days, and register you as the new owner with HM Land Registry.

Do you really need a conveyancer?

If you are buying with a mortgage, yes. Your lender will insist that a qualified legal professional handles the transaction. Even if you are a cash buyer, doing it without one is risky. The law around property in England and Wales is full of traps, from restrictive covenants to unregistered rights of way, and mistakes are very expensive to put right.

A good conveyancer more than earns their fee, because they protect the biggest purchase most people ever make.

How long does conveyancing take?

Most purchases take somewhere between eight and twelve weeks from offer accepted to completion, although it can be quicker or much slower. Chains, leasehold properties, delayed searches and slow responses from either side are the usual causes of delay.

You can help to keep things moving. Instruct your conveyancer as soon as your offer is accepted, send documents quickly, respond to questions the same day and make sure your mortgage application is in good order. Our team can also chase the lender side while your conveyancer handles the legal work, so nothing drops between the two.

What does a conveyancer cost?

Fees vary depending on the price of the property, whether it is freehold or leasehold, and whether you are buying, selling or both. A quote normally has two parts:

• Legal fees, which are the conveyancer’s charge for the work itself, plus VAT.
• Disbursements, which are costs paid to third parties on your behalf, such as search fees, Land Registry fees, bank transfer fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax.

Always ask for a written quote that breaks everything down, and check whether it is fixed or an estimate. It is also worth asking what happens to the fee if the sale falls through, because some firms offer a no sale, no fee arrangement while others do not.

It helps to look at the fee in context. Asking what is a conveyancer worth is really asking what it is worth to have a regulated professional insured against errors on a purchase that may be hundreds of thousands of pounds. Seen that way, a sensible fee is good value.

Buying, selling and leasehold: how the role changes

When you sell, your conveyancer prepares the contract pack, obtains the title deeds, answers the buyer’s enquiries and deals with paying off your existing mortgage on completion. Being ready early, with your property information forms filled in and your deeds located, can shave weeks off the timeline.

If you are buying a leasehold flat or house, the work is heavier. Your conveyancer needs to read the lease, check the length remaining, ground rent and service charges, and ask the management company for information about major works. Short leases and unusual clauses can affect both your mortgage and your ability to sell later, which is why it pays to have an experienced person looking at them.

New build purchases add further checks, such as the developer’s warranty, the completion notice and the arrangements for roads and shared areas. In each case, the question of what is a conveyancer doing for you has a slightly different answer, but the principle is the same: they are protecting your legal position.

How to choose a good conveyancer

The cheapest quote is rarely the best option if it comes with poor communication. When comparing firms, look for:

• Proper regulation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.
• Experience with your type of purchase, for example new builds, leasehold flats or shared ownership.
• A named person handling your case, with a direct phone number or email.
• Clear, fixed pricing with no surprises.
• Good reviews that mention responsiveness, because delays usually come from silence rather than complexity.
• Local knowledge where it helps, since local searches and council practices vary.

If you are working with us, we can introduce you to conveyancers we trust and who work well alongside our team. You are always free to choose your own, and we will happily liaise with them. You can also read more about our conveyancing services if you want the details.

Common conveyancing mistakes to avoid

• Leaving it until after your offer is accepted to start comparing firms, which wastes valuable days.
• Choosing purely on price without checking how responsive the firm is.
• Forgetting to budget for disbursements, Stamp Duty Land Tax and Land Registry fees.
• Taking holidays or going out of contact during the middle of the process.
• Making a large unusual payment into your bank account, which can raise questions about the source of funds.
• Assuming everything is fine because no one has called. Ask for regular updates.

Questions people often ask

Can I use the same conveyancer as the seller?

Generally no. Each side needs independent legal advice, and using the same firm creates a conflict of interest. Some firms will act for both in very limited circumstances, but it is not usual in a normal sale.

Can I use an online conveyancer?

Yes. Many online firms are fully regulated and offer fixed fees and fast digital systems. The key questions are the same as for any firm: who will handle your file, how can you contact them, and what happens if there is a problem.

Does a conveyancer arrange my mortgage?

No. A conveyancer handles the legal work only. A mortgage broker, like our team at Chatsworth, finds and arranges the mortgage. The two roles work in parallel, and good communication between them helps your purchase run smoothly. If you are buying your first home, our first-time buyer mortgage guide covers the whole journey.

What if my conveyancer finds a problem?

They will explain what it is, how serious it is and what your options are. Many issues can be solved with an indemnity policy, a retention or a simple clarification from the seller. Others may mean renegotiating the price or walking away, which is exactly why you want an expert on your side before you exchange.

Talk to Chatsworth Mortgage Group

If you are planning to buy, move or remortgage and would like clear advice on both the mortgage and the steps that follow, get in touch with our team and we will talk you through it. You can also visit our home page to see how we help, from first-time buyers to landlords. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.