# Conveyancing Guide

## Purpose

Help buyers and sellers understand the legal process without giving legal advice. Demystify the jargon and set expectations on timeline.

## The Process (Simplified)

### For Sellers
1. **Instruct a solicitor** — choose a conveyancer to handle the legal side
2. **Complete property forms** — your solicitor sends you forms about the property (fixtures, boundaries, disputes, planning)
3. **Provide title deeds** — your solicitor obtains these from the Land Registry
4. **Draft contract** — your solicitor prepares the contract pack and sends it to the buyer's solicitor
5. **Answer enquiries** — the buyer's solicitor will ask questions. Answer them promptly — delays here are the most common bottleneck
6. **Agree completion date** — negotiate a date that works for the chain
7. **Exchange contracts** — legally binding. The buyer pays a deposit (typically 10%)
8. **Completion** — money transfers, keys handed over, it's done

### For Buyers
1. **Instruct a solicitor** — choose a conveyancer
2. **Arrange survey** — separate from the mortgage valuation. Options:
   - **Condition Report** — basic, suitable for new builds
   - **Homebuyer Report** — standard, covers most properties
   - **Full Building Survey** — detailed, recommended for older or unusual properties
3. **Mortgage application** — if not cash. Lender will do their own valuation
4. **Review contract pack** — your solicitor reviews what the seller's solicitor sends
5. **Searches** — your solicitor orders local authority searches, environmental searches, drainage, etc. These take 2-6 weeks depending on the council
6. **Raise enquiries** — your solicitor asks questions about anything unclear
7. **Mortgage offer** — formal confirmation from your lender
8. **Exchange** — you pay the deposit and it becomes legally binding
9. **Completion** — typically 1-4 weeks after exchange. Keys are yours

## Common Terminology

- **SSTC (Sold Subject to Contract)** — sale agreed but not yet legally binding
- **Exchange** — the point where it becomes legally binding
- **Completion** — the point where money and keys change hands
- **Chain** — a sequence of linked transactions (each sale depends on another)
- **Gazumping** — seller accepts a higher offer after already agreeing to sell to you (legal until exchange)
- **Gazundering** — buyer reduces their offer just before exchange
- **Indemnity insurance** — covers specific legal risks (missing documents, planning issues, etc.)
- **Searches** — checks ordered by your solicitor on the property (flooding, planning, environmental, etc.)
- **Title** — the legal ownership record of the property

## Timeline Expectations

- **Average: 12-16 weeks** from sale agreed to completion
- **Best case: 8-10 weeks** (chain-free, cash buyer, responsive solicitors)
- **Complex chains: 16-24 weeks** is not unusual
- The biggest variable is solicitor responsiveness and search turnaround times

## Important Disclaimer

This is general information to help you understand the process. For advice specific to your transaction, always speak to your solicitor. Every sale is different, and your solicitor is the person qualified to advise you on the legal details.