Whether you're a layman looking to understand your own transaction or a lawyer needing assistance with a client's conveyancing our step by step sale and purchase guides will lead you through the process while our mini guides will break the whole thing into manageable chunks and give a deep insight into the key issues and stages. Leasehold, freehold, unregistered, registered – we've got it all covered.
Need help with a remortgage or transfer of equity / deed of gift? Our guides will walk you through the process and highlight some of the common pitfalls. Mortgages and transfers can be very simple procedures but complex issues can sometimes arise and mistakes are easily made. These guides will help you deal with them.
So you want to have a go at your own conveyancing? First you should read about the risks, then if you're still happy to proceed, our guides will take you through each stage of the process telling you what to look out for and helping you avoid falling into expensive traps. Our subscription service will give you access to all of the documents you should need for your conveyancing and we can even supply you with the Land Registry Official Copies you'll need. Our general guides will cover all the obstacles you are likely to face and offer a practical solution. Have a look at our sale and purchase guides too.
A big part of the conveyancing process is the conveyancing searches. This section tells you all about them. What they are, how and when to order them and how to interpret the results. Each search has its own guide and you'll see they are separated into Standard (should be done in every case), Regional (area specific) and Optional (not essential but often useful tools for the would be purchaser). All buyers should beware that when you buy a property, the law assumes that you have seen the information that would have been revealed by searches whether or not you have actually carried them out, so you buy the property subject to the results.
Using a conveyancer to handle your conveyancing will greatly reduce the risk to you and sometimes, particularly if you are taking out a new mortgage, you will have no choice but to instruct a conveyancer. The good news is it doesn't have to break the bank. Get a free, instant quote here. We can also help with quick easy quotes for other moving related services.
Are you looking for the documents you'll need for your conveyancing transaction? Or official copies of the title or other documents from Land Registry. We can help you. Follow the links below.
I am gifting my son money to pay his deposit for a new house. His solicitor is demanding to see my last 3 months bank statements, which I find an intrusion to my privacy.
Is this correct?
Yes. Solicitors have a duty under anti-money laundering legislation to make enquiries as to the origination of any funds passing through their client account and to obtain and retain copies of supporting evidence. Those wishing to conceal the proceeds of crime will try to "clean" the money by passing it through as money legitimate accounts as possible and/or investing in a legitimate asset such as a house, often ensuring that the house is registered in the name of a third party to further blur the trail. This does not mean that the solicitors suspect you of any wrongdoing. The penalties for failing to take appropriate precautions are serious and will usually involve a custodial sentence for both the individual handling the transaction and the responsible officer at the firm even if the funds they have failed to investigate are legitimate and no offence of money laundering has actually been committed. All law firms are obliged to submit to regular independent audits in order to check, amongst other things, for evidence of compliance. In addition where the purchaser is buying with a mortgage it is a standard requirement of the lender that these enquiries are made before the mortgage funds are used.