Get a QuoteWhat is Coveyancing?
The term 'Conveyancing' refers to all the legal and administrative work associated with transferring the ownership of land or buildings from one owner to another. The conveyancing process starts after an offer has been made and accepted to buy a property and solicitors' details exchanged by the two parties.
Most people hire a solicitor to undertake their conveyancing. It is possible to do the conveyancing yourself, but it is time-consuming and also risky if you lack the necessary expertise. In reality, very few homebuyers undertake the conveyancing themselves, for three main reasons:
- Many mortgage lenders will insist on employing a solicitor to protect their interests. They will not risk having shoddy conveyancing work.
- There is a higher chance of things going disastrously wrong.
- The other people involved may not be happy with you doing your own conveyancing, and may even reject your offer on this basis.
There are some cases in which DIY conveyancing is particularly inadvisable, for example:
- The property is being sold by a divorcing or separating couple (this requires specialist skill or knowledge).
- The property is not freehold.
- The property is unregistered.
- The property is not a house.
