What Does A Conveyancer Do?
Being aware of what a Conveyancer does is important to understand before you come to buy or sell a home. A Conveyancer and your Solicitor will often be the same person and they will help you throughout the legal process of buying or selling a home.
But what exactly does a Conveyancer do? Do you need a Conveyancer when buying or selling a home? And where can I find a quality Conveyancer to help me when selling a property?
That is what we are going to explore in this post. Read on to learn more about the conveyancing process and the role of a Conveyancer.
What Does A Conveyancer Do?
A Conveyancer is responsible for the legal side of buying and selling property – they are there to manage the legal side of the transaction and deal with the title transfer process.
This ensures that you fully understand your legal obligations when buying or selling a home. A Conveyancer can help with:
- Sale of property
- Purchase of property
- Sale and purchase of property
- Remortgage
- Transfer of Equity
The role if a conveyancer is to deal with the purchase of a property once you have had your offer accepted.
The purchasing of property is not always straightforward, which is why Conveyancers are excellent for handling everything and understanding the process.
Do You Need a Conveyancer?
A conveyancer is always recommended, to carry out the conveyancing process yourself is considered a difficult task. A lot of legal work is involved to carry out conveyancing - and there is a lot to be aware of. Mistakes in conveyancing can be expensive and therefore should be avoided.
You should instruct a Licensed Conveyancer or conveyancing Solicitor once you have made an offer on a property or have accepted your offer. A Conveyancing Solicitor is usually qualified in other aspects of property Law too, aspects including:
- Remortgaging
- Transfer of equity
- Lease extensions
When you take out a mortgage deal, doing the conveyancing process yourself will not be possible. Mortgage lenders require a legal and professional firm to be involved. However, if you are purchasing a property with cash and with no mortgage, a conveyancer will not be needed and you will not be required to use one.
You should only attempt conveyancing yourself if you are confident (and qualified) enough. Failing to spot something significant and important is likely to cause complications and therefore further delays. When you move into your property, the last thing you will want to do is face certain legal issues and problems that were missed due to incorrect or poor conveyancing.
Property is likely to be one of the most expensive purchases you can ever make. You will want to get the process right. We always recommend that you instruct an experienced and professional Conveyancer to deal with the legal aspects of the property purchase process.
Who Is Responsible for the Conveyancing Process?
It is up to you who you get to do your conveyancing unless your mortgage lender works with a specific firm.
Not all Solicitors will be experienced in the conveyancing process. They may have the knowledge and be qualified to undertake this type of legal work.
However, getting a specialised Solicitor to deal with your conveyancing to receive a swift and efficient service from a professional in the field is best practice. An expert can therefore tackle any of the potential problems that may come your way.
What Searches Do Conveyancers Carry Out?
Conveyancing searches are a huge part of the process. Local authority searches are involved in this as well as water and environment searches. These searches will uncover any issues. Property floor risks, public right of way, enforcement notices, purchase orders, and compulsory purchase orders are examples that may interfere with the property.
Viewing a property alone, or having a survey done cannot account for knowing everything to know. Sometimes complications and issues can be easily hidden and can only be discovered through a conveyancing search - which is why a conveyancing search is so important.
What Are Conveyancers Responsible For?
Conveyancers are responsible for checking paperwork and any returns search in detail, the appropriate questions will be raised with the seller’s conveyancer and therefore will make you as the buyer, aware of the issues.
If you do run into any issues, it can take several weeks to sort. It is important to highlight anything that needs attention, this way the process can be smooth sailing for the seller and the buyer.
A Conveyancer’s job continues after completion, including registering the change of ownership with the Land Registry, paying Stamp Duty Land Tax on your behalf, and sending a copy of the title deeds to your mortgage lender.
If you have purchased a leasehold property, then they will also need to notify the freeholder and often a Management Company.
When Will I Get My Keys?
Once the relevant paperwork has been signed and then delivered, the buyer will need to pay their deposit. The deposit will usually be 10% of the full price of the property and this can be paid via bank transfer.
Your conveyancer will arrange a day that is convenient for everyone in the chain to move, to get this sorted can take a while. Once a moving date is agreed your conveyancer will then be able to work towards the date to exchange the contracts.
Once the contracts have been exchanged a date will be agreed for completion, the property purchase then becomes a legally binding agreement.
A legally binding contract to your new home means that the end is in sight. The final completion statement will be ready to go, and any outstanding balances will need to be paid. Your Conveyancer will request the mortgage advance from your bank or building society.
On your moving day, it is only when the seller's conveyancing solicitors have secured the money will be when the estate agents authorise the keys to be released to you. The keys can be officially picked up once funds have gone through and the exciting moving process begins!
Bell Lamb & Joynson
Our expert team of Conveyancing Solicitors are experienced in all aspects of conveyancing transactions across England and Wales. We specialise in residential property transactions such as sales, purchases property transfers and remortgages.
Whether you are a first-time buyer, looking to upsize or downsize from your current home, if you are a buy-to-let landlord or if you are looking to remortgage your house, we can help you.
Take advice from our friendly and professional team of Conveyancing Solicitors, we are highly reviewed.
Contact us today, all contact details can be found on our website. We are always happy and willing to help you with all your conveyancing needs.