Conveyancing.

It depends on the building, the lender, and the current remediation status. Following significant disruption after Grenfell, mortgage lending on affected buildings has improved considerably as remediation programmes have progressed and government schemes have provided more certainty. Many lenders will now lend on buildings where: the developer has signed a remediation contract; the building is enrolled in a government remediation scheme; or an EWS1 form confirms the external wall system is safe. Buildings where remediation is unresolved, where the responsible party is disputed, or where no clear funding plan exists remain difficult to mortgage. The position changes regularly as remediation programmes advance — your mortgage broker and solicitor can advise on the current position for a specific building.

Buying at auction is fundamentally different from a standard property purchase in one critical respect: exchange of contracts happens in the auction room the moment the hammer falls. There is no negotiation period, no cooling off, and no ability to withdraw without losing your deposit and facing further liability. All legal due diligence — reviewing the legal pack, checking title, raising any concerns — must be completed before you bid, not after. Completion typically follows within 28 days. The speed and commitment involved make auction purchases higher risk than standard purchases, but they can offer genuine value — particularly for properties that need work or have complications that deter mainstream buyers.

Buying a new build involves several important differences from a standard resale purchase. The property may not yet be built — you are often buying off-plan, based on plans and specifications rather than a finished home. Developer contracts are written in the developer's favour and contain clauses you would not find in a standard residential transaction. Exchange deadlines are typically much shorter — developers usually require exchange within 28 days of reservation. Completion dates can shift. The property will be registered at HM Land Registry for the first time, which involves additional legal steps. Warranties replace surveys as the main protection against defects. And where government purchase schemes are involved — Help to Buy, Shared Ownership, Right to Buy — the legal process has further layers. Instructing an experienced solicitor promptly is essential.

Conveyancing costs have two parts: our legal fees, and disbursements — third-party costs we pay on your behalf, such as search fees and Land Registry registration fees. We publish detailed pricing on our conveyancing pricing page so you can see exactly what to expect before you instruct us. Costs vary depending on the purchase price, whether the property is freehold or leasehold, and whether a mortgage is involved. Disbursements include the cost of searches, Land Registry fees, and any stamp duty or land transaction tax payable. There should be no surprises: we provide a full itemised estimate before you commit.

The premium payable to the freeholder for a lease extension is calculated using a statutory valuation formula that takes into account the current lease length, the ground rent, the property value, and — for leases below 80 years — marriage value. The shorter the lease and the higher the property value, the greater the premium. As a rough guide, extending a lease with 85 years remaining on a property worth £300,000 might cost several thousand pounds; the same extension on a lease with 75 years remaining could cost significantly more due to marriage value. In addition to the premium, you pay your own solicitor's and valuer's fees and — under the statutory route — a reasonable contribution to the freeholder's legal and valuation costs. We charge by the hour and provide a written estimate at the outset.

Your conveyancing solicitor handles all the legal work involved in transferring ownership of a property from the seller to you. This includes checking the seller's title to make sure they legally own what they are selling, carrying out searches (formal inquiries made to local councils, water authorities and other bodies), reviewing the contract and raising any legal concerns, managing your mortgage lender's requirements, and overseeing the exchange of contracts and completion. Your solicitor also calculates and submits any stamp duty or land transaction tax due, and registers your ownership with HM Land Registry once the purchase completes. They are your legal safeguard throughout the process — not simply an administrator.

Your conveyancing solicitor handles all the legal work involved in transferring ownership of your property to the buyer. This includes obtaining official copies of your title from HM Land Registry, preparing the contract pack and title documentation, answering the buyer's solicitor's enquiries, dealing with any issues revealed by searches or the buyer's survey, managing the mortgage redemption if there is an outstanding loan, and overseeing exchange of contracts and completion. On completion day, your solicitor receives the purchase funds, redeems any mortgage, pays estate agent fees if instructed, and transfers the balance to you. Their role is to ensure the legal transfer is completed correctly and that your interests are protected throughout.

In a remortgage, a solicitor acts for your new lender — and, where you instruct one independently, for you as well. Their role includes checking your title, confirming the property meets the lender's requirements, redeeming your existing mortgage, registering the new charge at HM Land Registry, and transferring any surplus funds to you. Whether you need your own solicitor depends on whether your new lender offers a free legal service using their own panel solicitor. If they do, that solicitor acts for the lender only — not for you. For a straightforward product transfer with the same lender, no legal work is usually required at all. A solicitor is always required where there is a change of lender, additional borrowing, or a change in the ownership structure of the property.