Frequently asked questions

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property. In practice it involves investigating the title, ordering and interpreting searches, reviewing contracts, liaising with mortgage lenders, and making sure the right money reaches the right people at the right time. Get any of that wrong and the consequences can be costly and long-lasting. Our job is to make sure none of it falls through the cracks — and to make everything clear and simple for you.

It depends — and anyone who gives you a firm answer without knowing the details of your transaction is guessing. A straightforward freehold purchase with no chain can complete in 6 to 8 weeks. A leasehold flat in a chain is more likely to take 3 to 4 months. The biggest variables are how quickly searches come back, how cooperative all parties are, and whether anything unexpected comes up in the title. What we can promise is that we won’t be the reason things slow down, and we’ll always be upfront about where things stand.

Yes — you’ll know exactly what you’re paying before you commit to anything. We work on fixed fees, so there are no surprise bills at the end. Your quote will clearly separate our legal fee from the disbursements — third-party costs like search fees, Land Registry fees, and Stamp Duty that are the same wherever you instruct. If anything changes mid-transaction that affects the cost, we’ll tell you straight away and explain why.

Fall-throughs are an unfortunate reality — around a third of agreed sales don’t complete. If yours doesn't proceed through no fault of your own, we operate a no-move, no-legal-fee policy, so you won’t owe us our legal fee. You may still be liable for disbursements already paid out on your behalf, but we’ll always be clear about that from the start.

Exchange is when the transaction becomes legally binding — both sides sign identical contracts, a completion date is agreed, and neither party can pull out without serious financial consequences. Completion is when ownership actually changes hands: the money is transferred, the seller vacates, and you pick up the keys. The gap between the two is usually 1 to 2 weeks.

Searches are enquiries to official bodies that reveal things about a property no physical inspection can show — planning history, road adoptions, flood risk, contamination, mains connections. If you’re buying with a mortgage, your lender will require them. Even as a cash buyer, skipping them is a false economy. We’ll always let you know if any additional location-specific searches are recommended for your area.

It matters a great deal, particularly for flats. Freehold means you own the property and the land outright. Leasehold means you own the right to occupy for the remaining lease term, with a landlord above you who owns the building. With leasehold come service charges, ground rent, and obligations you need to understand before you buy. We’ll read the lease carefully and flag anything that could cause problems — including a short lease, where below 80 years remaining it starts to become expensive to extend.

Proactively — you won't need to chase us. We know from experience that the most stressful part of moving isn’t the legal complexity, it’s not knowing what’s happening. We use a secure online portal where you can check your case status at any time, upload documents, and message us directly. We’ll also be in touch whenever there’s something meaningful to report or when we need something from you.

You don't need to wait, and in most cases it’s better not to. If you’re selling, we can start preparing the contract pack as soon as your property goes on the market. If you’re buying, you can get a quote and have us ready to go the moment your offer is accepted. Starting early is one of the most reliable ways to shorten the overall timeline.

Don't worry — buying for the first time feels more complicated than it is, and we’re here to demystify every step. A few things to be aware of: you’ll need to verify your identity at the outset (a routine legal requirement), and you’ll need to evidence where your deposit is coming from — savings, a family gift, a Lifetime ISA. If it’s a gift, there’s a specific way we document that. We’d also always recommend getting a proper survey, not just the mortgage valuation, which only protects the lender. We’ll walk you through what to expect before we begin.