What is a conveyancer?
If you’re looking at buying or selling land or property, you’ll probably have heard the term conveyancing banded about a fair bit – but do you really know what it means and how a ‘conveyancer’ could help you?
Let’s take a closer look…
Put simply, ‘conveyancing’ relates to all the legal and administrative work required to transfer the ownership of property from one person to another. It starts from the moment an offer is accepted and only ends when the final contracts have been signed and money has been transferred.
What does a conveyancer do?
A professional conveyancer, or conveyancing solicitor, is someone who will act on your behalf during the sale or purchase of property to make sure you meet all your legal obligations and that your rights are protected during the transaction.
Any qualified solicitor or paralegal can carry out conveyancing work, but it is usually recommended to opt for an experienced conveyancing solicitor. This will be someone who specialises in this field – like our experienced team here at GD Legal.
How can a conveyancer help me?
The first question you might be asking yourself is, do I really need a conveyancer? Couldn’t you just do it yourself? The honest answer is that legally, yes, you could – but it is a complicated and time-consuming task…and one that can very easily go wrong. Specialist legal knowledge is often needed, and many mortgage lenders insist on professional conveyancing services being used. So, unless you are extremely experienced in buying and selling property, engaging the help and expertise of an experienced conveyancing solicitor is always advised. Not only will this protect you from any potentially costly pitfalls and complications, it will also save you vast amounts of time and stress.
A conveyancer will progress things on your behalf, keeping things moving while you get on with your day job! One of the first things they will do for you is carry out searches with the relevant local council and utility companies to uncover things such as:
- Local building plans
- Where sewer lines run
- Any potential flood risks
- Financial liabilities leftover from previous owners
They will also advise you on stamp duty and thoroughly check contracts from the other party’s solicitor, assist with ensuring all fees are paid and that ownership is transferred to the correct name with the Land Registry.
How much does a conveyancer cost?
Here at GD Legal, we pride ourselves on offering excellent legal services at fair prices. The cost of conveyancing is usually dependent on the value of the property involved in the transaction. For a clear idea on price we offer a free instant online quoting service – with no obligation – that clearly breaks down our costs.
So, now you’re clear on just exactly what conveyancing means and the many benefits that come from instructing an experienced conveyancing solicitor, why not get in touch to see what our team can do for you? You could also check our reviews to see why other people would recommend speaking to one of our conveyancing experts.
We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may still have about the conveyancing process and talk to you in detail about how we can help. Contact us on 0161 7101786 or email info@gdlegal.co.uk.