Conveyancing Solicitors for Selling a House

Selling your property? Our expert panel solicitors handle all legal aspects of your sale — efficiently, transparently, and at a fixed competitive price.

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Expert Conveyancing for Property Sellers

Selling a property is a significant financial and legal undertaking. Legal Merchant's panel solicitors manage your sale with diligence and expertise, ensuring that every legal requirement is met and your transaction progresses as smoothly and swiftly as possible.

No Sale, No Fee: If your property sale falls through through no fault of your own, our panel solicitors won't charge you their legal fees. Ask about this option when you request your quote.

What Your Solicitor Does When Selling

When you instruct a Legal Merchant panel solicitor as your seller's conveyancer, they will:

  • Obtain and review the title deeds or Land Registry entries for your property
  • Prepare the draft contract of sale, including all special conditions
  • Complete the property information forms (TA6, TA10, TA7 for leasehold)
  • Respond to the buyer's solicitor's legal enquiries
  • Liaise with your estate agent and the buyer's solicitor to keep the transaction moving
  • Handle the exchange of contracts and co-ordinate completion arrangements
  • Receive and distribute the sale proceeds, including redemption of any mortgage
  • Notify HM Land Registry of the change of ownership

Selling and Buying Simultaneously

Most house sales involve a simultaneous purchase — you're moving from one property to another. This is known as a chain, and managing a chain effectively requires skill, proactivity, and excellent communication.

Legal Merchant's panel solicitors are highly experienced in chain management. They co-ordinate with all parties along the chain — buyers, sellers, agents, and other solicitors — to synchronise exchange and completion dates and reduce the risk of the chain breaking down.

Common Issues When Selling a House

Even straightforward property sales can encounter legal complications. Our solicitors are experienced in handling:

  • Title defects — missing deeds, informal arrangements, or boundary discrepancies
  • Restrictive covenants — old restrictions on the property's use that need to be disclosed or addressed
  • Missing planning permissions — alterations made without consent that require retrospective applications or indemnity insurance
  • Leasehold complications — management company requirements, service charge accounts, and lease terms
  • Probate sales — selling a property from a deceased estate, which requires grant of probate before exchange

How to Prepare for Selling Your Home

You can speed up your sale significantly by preparing in advance:

  • Instruct your solicitor as soon as you put the property on the market, not after you accept an offer
  • Locate all relevant documents — deeds, warranties, planning consents, building regulations certificates
  • Complete your property information forms (TA6) accurately and thoroughly
  • Consider commissioning a survey to identify issues before marketing
  • Ensure your mortgage is ready to be redeemed if you are selling a mortgaged property

Frequently Asked Questions

While technically not a legal requirement, you will almost certainly need a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to sell your property. Mortgage lenders typically insist on it, and the legal complexities of transferring property title require professional expertise. Our panel solicitors make the process efficient and straightforward.
From instruction to completion, selling a house typically takes 10–16 weeks, though this depends heavily on the length of the chain and the efficiency of all parties. Our solicitors work proactively to minimise delays and keep all parties aligned.
Key documents for selling a house include: the title deeds or Land Registry title information, any planning permissions and building regulations approvals for works carried out, energy performance certificate (EPC), warranties and guarantees (e.g., FENSA certificates for windows), and — for leasehold — the lease itself and service charge records.
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) may be payable when you sell a property that is not your main residence — for example, a buy-to-let property or a second home. CGT is charged on the profit (gain) made from the sale. Your main residence is typically exempt from CGT under Private Residence Relief. We recommend seeking tax advice alongside legal advice for investment property sales.

Get Your Free Selling Quote

Fill in your details and one of our expert conveyancing solicitors will contact you with your best-priced quote. No obligation, no hidden fees.

  • Free, no-obligation quote
  • Competitive fixed fees
  • Local, SRA-regulated solicitors
  • Response within 2 hours
  • No sale, no fee options available

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