The conveyancing process starts when your offer on a house is accepted and finishes when you receive the keys normally taking between 12 and 16 weeks to complete.
Conveyancing is the legal transfer of home ownership from the seller to the buyer conducted by a solicitor in person or online.
The buyer's solicitor will write to the seller’s solicitor to confirm they are instructed and request a copy of the draft contract and any other details, such as the property’s title and the standard forms.
Next, a set of legal property searches are carried out to ensure there are no other factors one should be aware of. A list of fixtures and fittings is also complied and completion date agreed..
You will need to get a survey done, insurance arranged on the property and your mortgage in place which the buyers solicitor will receive a copy of to go through the conditions.
Once the buyer has paid the deposit and exchanged contracts the buyer will be in a legally binding contract to buy the property with a fixed date for moving.
Completion takes place when the seller’s solicitor confirms that they have received all the money that is due.
Once this happens the seller should drop the keys at the estate agents for the buyer’s collection. This means that the conveyancing process is over.