Conveyancing Solicitors for Buying a House

Expert Conveyancing Solicitors for House Buyers

Whether you are a first-time buyer stepping onto the property ladder, a home mover upsizing or downsizing, or an investor expanding your portfolio, Legal Merchant's panel solicitors provide the expert conveyancing support you need. We handle every legal aspect of your purchase — from reviewing the draft contract to registering your title at HM Land Registry.

What Does Conveyancing for Buyers Involve?

When you instruct a Legal Merchant panel solicitor to handle your house purchase, here is exactly what they do on your behalf:

• Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Checks: Verifying your identity and source of funds, as required by law.
• Reviewing the Draft Contract: Scrutinising the contract prepared by the seller's solicitor and raising any necessary enquiries.
• Title Investigation: Examining the Land Registry title to confirm the seller has the legal right to sell and identifying any restrictions, covenants, or charges on the property.
• Property Searches: Ordering and reviewing local authority, drainage, environmental, and any other relevant searches to uncover issues that could affect your use or enjoyment of the property.
• Reporting to Your Mortgage Lender: If you are purchasing with a mortgage, your solicitor also acts for your lender and reports to them on the property's legal title.
• Exchange of Contracts: Once all enquiries are satisfied and your mortgage offer is in place, contracts are exchanged and the completion date is agreed.
• Completion: On completion day, your solicitor transfers the purchase funds to the seller's solicitor and you receive the keys to your new home.
• Post-Completion: Your solicitor pays any Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) due and registers your ownership with HM Land Registry.

First-Time Buyers

Buying your first home is exciting but can also feel overwhelming. Legal Merchant's panel solicitors are experienced in guiding first-time buyers through every step of the process, explaining legal terminology in plain English, and ensuring you fully understand every document before you sign.

First-time buyers may also benefit from:

• Stamp Duty Relief: First-time buyers pay no Stamp Duty Land Tax on properties up to £425,000 and a reduced rate on properties between £425,001 and £625,000.
• Help to Buy and Shared Ownership: If you are using a government scheme to get onto the property ladder, our solicitors are expert in the additional legal requirements these schemes involve.
• Lifetime ISA Conveyancing: We work with solicitors who understand how to properly account for LISA funds in the completion process.

How Long Does Buying a House Take?

The average house purchase in England and Wales takes between 10 and 16 weeks from instruction to completion. However, the timeline depends on many factors:

• The length of the property chain
• The speed of local authority search returns (which vary widely by council)
• The responsiveness of all parties and solicitors involved
• Whether any title defects or planning issues need to be resolved
• The complexity of the mortgage application

Our solicitors are proactive — chasing all parties regularly and keeping you updated so that your transaction progresses as quickly as possible.

Conveyancing Fees for Buying a House

The cost of conveyancing when buying a property depends on the purchase price, the type of property (freehold or leasehold), and the complexity of the transaction. Broadly, fees consist of:

Disbursements include search fees, HM Land Registry fees, bank transfer fees, and Stamp Duty. All costs are confirmed in your Legal Merchant quote.

Related Conveyancing Services

In addition to buying a house, our panel solicitors also assist with:

• Leasehold property conveyancing — buying a flat or apartment
• New build conveyancing — purchasing from a developer
• Shared ownership conveyancing — Help to Buy and shared ownership schemes
• Buy-to-let conveyancing — investment property purchases

Frequently Asked Questions — Buying a House