Conveyancing.

Conveyancing is the process of legally transferring property or land ownership from one person to another.

Most conveyancing transactions take between 8 and 12 weeks, but this depends on a few factors, such as:

• The type of properties involved
• Whether the property is a new build, leasehold, freehold or share of freehold
• Size of the chain
• Responsiveness of other parties
• Whether any parties are taking out a mortgage
• Efficiency search providers

When we act for you, we’ll let you know the expected timeframes at each stage and keep you informed throughout. Delays can happen, but they shouldn’t be a mystery. We’ll let you know what’s happening and why.

Your solicitor’s job is to handle the legal and administrative work involved in buying or selling property. That includes: 

• Reviewing or preparing contracts and checking the legal title 
• Carrying out searches, raising enquiries, and handling replies 
• Managing the exchange and completion of the transaction 

We also coordinate with estate agents, mortgage lenders and other solicitors in the chain to keep things moving. We will communicate with you during each step, flagging any risks or problems.

Disbursements are costs we pay to other parties as part of your transaction. They are separate from our conveyancing legal fees.

Common examples include:

• Land Registry charges and search fees
• Bank transfer costs (such as CHAPS payments)
• Stamp duty, where applicable (see the government’s latest stamp duty guidance for current details)

For purchases, you may also need to budget for things like leasehold fees or freeholder notices. We’ll give you a full breakdown of the disbursements relevant to your transaction before anything goes ahead.

Conveyancing can be delayed for all sorts of reasons, and many of them are outside your solicitor’s control. Common causes include: 

• Missing documents or slow responses from third parties 
• Delays with mortgage offers, searches or survey results 
• Long or fragile property chains 
• Part of the chain falls through

We do everything we can to minimise delays on your side, including preparing early, chasing third parties promptly, and giving you clear information about what’s needed. You won’t be left wondering what’s going on or who’s holding things up.

Exchange is when the transaction becomes legally binding. This is where contracts are signed, swapped, and a completion date is set.  

Completion is when the sale or purchase actually happens. Funds are transferred, keys are handed over, and you can move in or out.  

Usually, exchange and completion are a week or two apart, but it’s sometimes possible to do them on the same day.

All of Britton and Time’s conveyancing services are offered on a fixed-fee basis, so you know exactly what to expect from the start.  

The price we quote covers all legal work involved in your transaction, from start to finish. You’ll only ever pay extra if something unexpected comes up that genuinely adds to the work. For example: 

• Your property is unregistered 
• You’re buying through a shared ownership scheme 
• The chain structure changes midway through 

In any of these cases, we’ll always explain the situation and clarify your options.

You can find a full breakdown of our conveyancing fees.