Making a Spring Move

Posted on April 13, 2022

It’s known in the business as conveyancing, but this is the legal term for transferring ownership of a property when selling or buying a house and it’s always advisable to get a conveyancing solicitor, conveyancer or a property lawyer to manage the perfect move for you.

When you’ve found the house of your dreams, it’s the biggest single amount of money you may spend on something and the first thing you will be asked is the name of your lawyer, you may have never instructed solicitors before, so what does a conveyancer do for you?

What does a conveyancer do?

Essentially a conveyancer will handle all the legal aspects involved in the transaction; handle contracts, deal with any complex legal issues, carry out local council searches, sort out all Land Registry issues, and finally securely transfer the money to pay for your property.

“Easter is traditionally a busy time for house moves and choosing the right solicitor is important as you need to build up a trusting relationship with good communication,” said Michelle Ong, a specialist conveyancing solicitor at Pearsons.

“We have clients returning to us for second and third house moves, so always ask around for recommendations. Search online, but again check out reviews and testimonials. Estate agents, mortgage brokers and IFAs often recommend solicitors, but again you need to check reviews and make sure that when it comes to pricing you have comparisons,” she added.

How much does conveyancing cost?

Conveyancers and lawyers charge clients in different ways, either through a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a percentage of the property price so it's always best to ask. At Pearson Solicitors we always let our clients what all the costs will be including VAT, we are upfront about our charges to avoid any unexpected shocks for clients.

Ask your conveyancer if the quote given includes charges for all property searches, bank transfers, Land Registry fees, Stamp Duty Land Tax, and Land Transaction Return Fee, as well as some of the hidden costs including postage and courier services and how any other additional work needed is charged.

Property Searches are 30% up

According to the Halifax Price Index in March, house prices were up 11% in a year, to a record high of £282,753, the biggest jump in six months and so large amounts of money are involved. It’s important to make sure your conveyancing solicitor is well recognised and ideally Law Society accredited and the Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

This spring has also seen unprecedented demand, with property searches up 30% since last year and in the North West Help to Buy properties and first-time buyers has increased by 50%.*

Buying a house can be exciting, but also stressful so having a property lawyer you can rely on is essential. At Pearson Solicitors, our property portal and app allows unique access so you can check at any time how your move is progressing.

“Communication with your solicitor is what matters, clients often want to get into their new homes as soon as possible and it’s extremely rewarding to help them along the way – nothing is better than completion day and seeing them so excited to get their keys and get in,” said Michelle Ong.

How can we help

For advice on buying a house, selling a property or remortgaging contact our conveyancing solicitors on 0161 785 3500 or enquiries@pearsonlegal.co.uk. If you are a landlord with multiple properties our specialist commercial property lawyers can help.

*New data from whathouse.com, The UK's leading new home audience platform

Please note that the information and opinions contained in this article are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to provide legal advice. No responsibility for its accuracy or correctness is assumed by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Ltd or any of its members or employees. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking, or refraining from taking, any action as a result of this article.

This blog was posted some time ago and its contents may now be out of date. For the latest legal position relating to these issues, get in touch with the author - or make an enquiry now.