Conveyancing FAQs

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring property ownership from one person(s) to another. This process is usually carried out by a conveyancing solicitor.

The average length of time is 12-16 weeks, though it is common for transactions involved in longer chains to take 6 months or more.

A conveyancing solicitor will:

    • Advise their clients: provide insights on the conveyancing process, and keep them informed about any progress. 
    • Arrange searches: uncover any potential issues with the property itself or local area. 
    • Draft contracts: ensure both sides are happy with the arrangement before exchanging.
    • Liaise with other professionals: these might include estate agents, mortgage advisors, and the solicitors advising other parties in the ‘chain’. Deal with the finances: review financial records and facilitate the eventual transfer of funds when the sale is complete.

 

A property survey is not compulsory, but strongly encouraged when purchasing a property. It is a check carried out by a licensed professional which identifies any issues with the building’s condition prior to the new owners finally committing to purchase it. This is so that any risks or future expenses don’t come as a surprise.

The conveyancing solicitor for the seller creates a draft contract which outlines the terms of the sale of the property. It is called a draft contract as it is not legally binding until the contracts are exchanged.

Completion day is the final stage in conveyancing and is when the buyer takes possession of the property. It is when the funds are transferred across, and usually takes place anywhere between a week and a month from contracts being exchanged. This length of time can be affected by many things:

  • Delays in the money being transferred 
  • How proactive the solicitors and estate agents are in pushing through each stage of the proces
  • Other transactions in the chain
  • The mortgage lender
  • Building delays with newbuild properties

For an update regarding your completion date, ask your conveyancing solicitor.

An exchange of contracts is when the contracts become legally binding and both parties are from that point on, legally obligated to proceed with the property purchase and sale. Completion, meaning the transfer of funds in exchange for ownership of the property, usually happens less than a month later.

The exchange of contracts takes place once each party is happy with the terms set out and all legal checks, property searches and building surveys have taken place.  

A ‘chain’ means that there are several properties that need to change ownership on the same day. A chain will have one person(s) who are only buying at one end of the chain (first-time buyers and investors, for example) and one person(s) at the other end of the chain who are only selling (a company selling newbuild homes, or someone moving into long-term care). Between these two parties will be person(s) who need to both buy and sell a property.

When there is a long chain, conveyancing can take much longer because it can take a while for the ‘chain’ to be ‘complete’. There is also a higher potential for one ‘link’ in the chain to pull out of the purchase, thus, everyone has to wait while the parties involved have to find new buyers/sellers.

Property searches are legal enquiries that a solicitor will make with the relevant authorities in order to gather information about a property that their client is in the process of purchasing. Property searches are required for buyers with a mortgage, but it is still recommended for cash buyers too. 

Property searches will uncover any potential issues like risk of flooding, future developments in the local area, and planning permission restrictions.

Whether you will have to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when you buy a property depends on its value. From 1st April 2025 in England and Northern Ireland, if you buy a freehold, leasehold, or shared ownership property above £125,000 in value, you will pay SDLT. If you are a first time buyer, you will only pay SDLT if buying a property worth £300,000 or more.

Can’t see what you are looking for?

Send us your questions via the contact form and we will be happy to assist.

Get an instant online quote

for buying or selling your property

See what our customers say…

Excellent

Based on 580 reviews
09 Jun 2026

Timely professional support

Eric Robinson helped us with the legal side of securing a new tenant for our restaurant. It was complicated as the restaurant spanned ours and another property. Chloe Winstanley was our main support and provided timely professional support throughout. I will use her again and am happy to recommend her to others.


Hannah R
04 Jun 2026

5/5 Service.

We received fantastic conveyance service from Samantha & Cathy at the Bitterne branch. They were quick to communicate any updates throughout the whole process and respond to any queries we had. Highly recommend!


Tebbett
02 Jun 2026

Chantelle Bennett at Eric Robinson…

Chantelle Bennett at Eric Robinson Solicitors made the whole sale process fornus extreme smooth. Her professionalism and understanding made contacting her very easy. If you are looking for a solicitor – we would highly recommend her and Eric Robinson Solicitors


Tim
16 May 2026

Probate

I contacted Kristen Wood to arrange an appointment in March to talk about my late husbands estate. Kristen had previously handled my father in laws estate in 2021 and we were very pleased with the service received. My husbands estate was quite straightforward and Kristen provided me with an effective way to pursue probate. I received the same great service as before and all was completed at the beginning of May. I would not hesitate to use Eric Robinson again in the future. From start to finish Kristen was professional whilst being sympathetic to my current situation. There would be no hesitation in recommending the Chandlers Ford office simply because the staff and service are first class.


Kazp
15 May 2026

Sale of my flat

Emma helped with the process of selling my flat, it wasn’t the most smoothest of sales (external issues) but she worked hard to get all completed. Emma was great at communicating throughout the process, and supporting and helping me with sale. Thankyou Emma.


Matt.H
14 May 2026

Fantastic communication – a smooth and stress-free experience!

We couldn’t be happier with the service we received from Eric Robinson Solicitors. Hazzra Huxford and Sylvia Garcia were both fantastic working on the sale of our property and onward purchase. We exchanged contracts just 6.5 weeks after offers were accepted! The whole experience was smooth and stress free, with the best communication and continuous regular updates we’ve experienced working with a conveyancing solicitor. We would highly recommend Eric Robinson Solicitors.


Alysha T
09 Jun 2026

Timely professional support

Eric Robinson helped us with the legal side of securing a new tenant for our restaurant. It was complicated as the restaurant spanned ours and another property. Chloe Winstanley was our main support and provided timely professional support throughout. I will use her again and am happy to recommend her to others.


Hannah R
04 Jun 2026

5/5 Service.

We received fantastic conveyance service from Samantha & Cathy at the Bitterne branch. They were quick to communicate any updates throughout the whole process and respond to any queries we had. Highly recommend!


Tebbett
02 Jun 2026

Chantelle Bennett at Eric Robinson…

Chantelle Bennett at Eric Robinson Solicitors made the whole sale process fornus extreme smooth. Her professionalism and understanding made contacting her very easy. If you are looking for a solicitor – we would highly recommend her and Eric Robinson Solicitors


Tim
16 May 2026

Probate

I contacted Kristen Wood to arrange an appointment in March to talk about my late husbands estate. Kristen had previously handled my father in laws estate in 2021 and we were very pleased with the service received. My husbands estate was quite straightforward and Kristen provided me with an effective way to pursue probate. I received the same great service as before and all was completed at the beginning of May. I would not hesitate to use Eric Robinson again in the future. From start to finish Kristen was professional whilst being sympathetic to my current situation. There would be no hesitation in recommending the Chandlers Ford office simply because the staff and service are first class.


Kazp
15 May 2026

Sale of my flat

Emma helped with the process of selling my flat, it wasn’t the most smoothest of sales (external issues) but she worked hard to get all completed. Emma was great at communicating throughout the process, and supporting and helping me with sale. Thankyou Emma.


Matt.H
14 May 2026

Fantastic communication – a smooth and stress-free experience!

We couldn’t be happier with the service we received from Eric Robinson Solicitors. Hazzra Huxford and Sylvia Garcia were both fantastic working on the sale of our property and onward purchase. We exchanged contracts just 6.5 weeks after offers were accepted! The whole experience was smooth and stress free, with the best communication and continuous regular updates we’ve experienced working with a conveyancing solicitor. We would highly recommend Eric Robinson Solicitors.


Alysha T
View all reviews

Make an enquiry

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Why choose Eric Robinson Solictors?

  • Get an instant online quote tailored to your needs
  • Specialist property lawyers with experience in buying and selling
  • Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation
  • Latest paperless technology making conveyancing easy