Instruct a conveyancer before you put the property up for sale:

This will save time in the process and get ahead of the game. It also allows you to concentrate on your purchase transaction (if you have one).

• Complete all the legal paperwork BEFORE your house goes up for sale. Your conveyancer should provide you with what’s known as a Property Pack. The pack will include a set of forms asking a series of questions about your property. Doing this now will avoid delays later.
• Once you have found a buyer, agree a date that you would like to move by. Although this might not happen, it helps to focus the ‘property chain’ on a timeframe for exchange of contracts and a date for completion. Ask that your conveyancer informs all other parties of your preferred time frame.
• Find as much property paperwork as you can, from when you originally bought it to now.
• Ask your conveyancer to check the deeds and other documents now, in preparation – reducing the impact on you and the buyer later on.
• Open and clear communication is very important at all stages of the process.

Conveyancing costs and disbursements:

Disbursements are costs your conveyancer pays to third parties on your behalf.

For sellers: There are usually relatively few disbursements, which can often be included in the final invoice. Confirm any upfront payments with your conveyancer.

For buyers: Pay requested search fees promptly so your conveyancer can order searches without delay. Mortgage lenders almost always require searches, and they are also advisable for cash buyers because they can reveal issues affecting the property.

Ask for a clear, itemised quote showing the conveyancer’s fees, expected disbursements and any potential additional charges.

We recommend using an independent conveyancer who works using a personal style, who runs their own service, who makes themselves accountable and cares about getting you across the finish line in a time-efficient way.

Please note, some larger ‘factory style’ operations employ high numbers of lesser qualified executives who have extremely high caseloads.

You can find reputable conveyancers by word of mouth (ask family and friends who have bought and sold recently – check their Google rating or similar), or we invite you to consult our exclusive Property Professional Directory to identify a highly-rated Conveyancer.