Find property to buy, property to rent and find estate agents in the UK with estateagents.co.uk
Property Guides

Buying property
Selling property
Estate agent fees
Free property guides
Conveyancing services
Mortgage services
My estateagents

Saved properties
Saved searches
What I last viewed
Email updates

Legal Process

Property Information & Advice > Legal Costs Tips

The process of transferring property ownership from one person to another is called conveyancing. You can choose between a solicitor or a, licensed conveyancer to do this for you.

If using a solicitor, make sure that they are experienced in the field of conveyancing as not all solicitors do this work.

If using a licensed conveyancer make sure they are licensed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (in England and Wales only.)


Before you make your decision, it is advisable to find out the likely costs of the conveyancing. Make sure you contact more than one solicitor or licensed conveyancer, as the fees will vary. Check if the fee is fixed or if it depends on the amount of work involved.

Check to see if the figure includes stamp duty, search fees, land registration fees, other expenses, VAT, and get a breakdown of these costs. Also, find out what charges will be sought if the sale doesn't progress to the contracts being exchanged.

From having your offer accepted, it can take up to 7 weeks to exchange contracts. From exchange it can take up to another 4 weeks to completion. This is not an exact time scale but a guideline. Should there be any problems this process could take longer.