7th September 2026
Buying or selling a property is an exciting milestone, whether you’re stepping onto the property ladder, moving home or preparing to sell. However, before ownership can officially change hands, there is an important legal process that must take place.
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one person to another. It involves much more than paperwork alone, helping to identify potential issues, provide peace of mind and ensure the transaction progresses as smoothly as possible.
Understanding what conveyancing involves can make the process feel less daunting and help you move forward with confidence.
Rachel Silvester, Head of Residential Conveyancing at Myers & Co Solicitors, explains what conveyancing is, why it matters, and the role it plays in every property transaction.
If you’re buying or selling a property, you’ve probably heard the term conveyancing, but many people are unsure exactly what it involves.
Put simply, conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one person to another. It begins once a sale has been agreed and covers all the legal work required before the keys can be handed over.
Your conveyancing solicitor will carry out checks, review contracts, raise enquiries and deal with the legal aspects of the transaction on your behalf. Their role is to identify any issues that could affect the property and help ensure everything progresses as smoothly as possible right through to completion.
When you’re buying a property, it’s easy to focus on the practical aspects of the move, from securing a mortgage to planning moving day. However, it’s equally important to understand exactly what you’re buying and whether there are any issues that could affect the property in the future.
One of the key purposes of conveyancing is to identify potential problems before you become legally committed to the purchase. Through searches, enquiries and legal checks, your solicitor can investigate matters that may not be obvious during a viewing or highlighted by a survey.
These checks may reveal things such as:
Understanding these issues at an early stage allows you to ask questions, consider your options and make informed decisions before contracts are exchanged. Ultimately, conveyancing is there to help protect your interests and provide peace of mind throughout your property transaction.
No two property transactions are exactly the same, which is why a conveyancing solicitor’s role can vary depending on the circumstances. Their job is to guide you through the legal process, carry out the necessary checks and help ensure the transaction progresses smoothly from start to finish.
This will typically involve:
Much of this work takes place behind the scenes, but it plays an essential role in ensuring that any potential issues are identified and addressed before the transaction is completed.
When purchasing a property, your solicitor will normally recommend searches based on its location, characteristics and any requirements imposed by your mortgage lender.
The searches required will vary depending on the property and its location, but they help to build a clearer picture of any matters that could affect the property now or in the future.
Common conveyancing searches include:
These searches are different from a property survey. A survey considers the physical condition of the building, while conveyancing searches investigate matters such as local authority records, drainage arrangements and environmental risks. Depending on the results, your solicitor may need to raise further enquiries before advising you to proceed.
Exchange of contracts is the stage at which the buyer and seller enter into a legally binding agreement. The completion date is normally agreed at or before exchange.
Completion takes place when the purchase money is transferred to the seller’s solicitor and the buyer can usually collect the keys. After completion, the buyer’s solicitor deals with the remaining legal and administrative work, including submitting the application to register the buyer as the property’s new owner.
Understanding this distinction is important, as once contracts have been exchanged, the transaction becomes legally binding, and it can be difficult and costly for either party to withdraw.
It is possible to carry out your own conveyancing, but the process can be complex, and mistakes may be costly. HM Land Registry states that most registration applications are submitted by professional conveyancers and notes that most mortgage lenders will insist on a conveyancer being used where the transaction involves a mortgage. It also explains that clients using a professional conveyancer benefit from the protection of the conveyancer’s professional insurance if something goes wrong.
Using a solicitor can be especially important where a transaction involves a mortgage, leasehold property, shared ownership arrangement, unusual title conditions or complications within the property chain.
Conveyancing may seem complicated, but having the right legal support can make the process feel far more manageable.
At Myers & Co Solicitors, our experienced Residential Property Team provides clear, practical advice throughout your property transaction. We will explain each stage in plain English, keep you informed and help you understand any issues that arise, so you can move forward with confidence.
If you are buying or selling a property and would like advice about the conveyancing process, Give us a call, or make an enquiry to find out how we can help.
