Solicitor moving house: your complete UK guide for 2026

A conveyancing solicitor is the qualified legal professional who manages the transfer of property ownership when you buy or sell a home. For most people moving house in the UK, instructing a conveyancing solicitor or a licensed conveyancer is not just sensible practice — it is the standard expectation of every mortgage lender in the country.

This guide covers everything you need to know: what these professionals actually do, how much they cost, how long the process takes, and how to tell a good firm from a poor one.

Table of Contents

What does a conveyancing solicitor do, and do you need one?

A conveyancing solicitor handles all the legal work involved in transferring property ownership, from the moment your offer is accepted through to the day you receive the keys. Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), while licensed conveyancers fall under the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Both carry professional indemnity insurance, which protects you if something goes wrong.

The difference between the two comes down to breadth of training. Solicitors hold a full legal qualification and can advise on matters beyond property, such as trusts, wills, or divorce. Licensed conveyancers specialise solely in property law. For a standard freehold purchase or sale, either is perfectly capable. For anything more complex, a solicitor's wider legal knowledge can prove genuinely useful.

Technically, you can handle your own conveyancing. In practice, almost no mortgage lender will accept this, and the risks of missing a legal issue in the title register or search results are considerable. The GOV.UK guidance on selling a home confirms that solicitors, licensed conveyancers, and chartered legal executives are all qualified to carry out conveyancing work — but it is the regulated professionals who carry the accountability.

Your conveyancing solicitor will typically:

• Review and report on the title to the property
• Carry out local authority, drainage, and environmental searches
• Raise and respond to enquiries from the other side's solicitor
• Liaise with your mortgage lender and satisfy their requirements
• Handle the transfer of deposit and completion funds
• Register the change of ownership at HM Land Registry
• Advise on Stamp Duty Land Tax and file the return on your behalf

How to find and choose a good conveyancing solicitor

The single most important thing to understand about how to choose a solicitor is that the cheapest quote rarely represents the best value. A firm that is hard to reach, slow to respond, or unfamiliar with your transaction type will cost you far more in stress and delays than the few hundred pounds you saved on the headline fee.

Check accreditation and lender panel status

Look for firms holding the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation. Most mortgage lenders require or prefer CQS-accredited firms, so instructing one avoids the risk of your lender refusing to work with your chosen solicitor. You can verify CQS membership directly on the Law Society website.

Confirm the firm is on your specific mortgage lender's approved panel before you instruct them. Being on your lender's panel means lender instructions are handled smoothly, without the delay and extra cost of appointing a separate solicitor to act for the lender.

Request fully itemised written quotes

A detailed written quote that itemises all fees and disbursements is the only reliable way to compare providers. Some firms advertise a low headline fee and then add supplementary charges for leasehold work, gifted deposits, or shared ownership. Ask for a quote that breaks down:

• The solicitor's legal fee (plus VAT)
• Search fees
• Land Registry registration fee
• Bank transfer fee
• Any transaction-specific supplements (leasehold, new-build, help-to-buy)

Get at least three quotes before instructing. You can compare conveyancing quotes quickly online, which makes this step much less time-consuming than it used to be.

Assess communication quality before you commit

Ask who will handle your case day-to-day. A named contact, rather than a general inbox, makes a real difference when you need a quick answer. Check how the firm communicates — whether by phone, email, or an online case-tracking portal — and whether their response times suit you. Poor communication is the most frequent cause of client frustration in conveyancing, and it correlates directly with delays.

Red flags to watch for:

• No written quote provided, or a quote that excludes VAT and disbursements
• Reluctance to name a specific fee earner for your case
• No mention of CQS accreditation or regulatory body
• Unusually low fees with no explanation of what is excluded
• No client reviews or verifiable track record

Typical solicitor fees and costs when moving house

Property solicitor fees vary by transaction type, property value, and complexity. The figures below reflect typical ranges for England and Wales.

Freehold purchases typically cost between £1,300 and £2,800 including legal fees and disbursements. Leasehold transactions generally cost between £1,660 and £3,260 including additional leasehold fees and disbursements. New-build leasehold cases with government schemes can reach £3,000–£4,000 in total.

Disbursements are third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf. The main ones are:

• Local authority search: covers planning history, road adoption, and nearby development proposals
• Drainage and water search: confirms whether the property connects to public sewers
• Environmental search: flags flood risk, contaminated land, and subsidence
• Land Registry fee: set by HM Land Registry based on the property's purchase price
• Bank transfer (CHAPS) fee: charged for transferring completion funds, typically £25–£50

Licensed conveyancers often charge slightly less than solicitors for straightforward freehold transactions, though the gap narrows on leasehold or complex cases where a solicitor's broader expertise earns its cost. For a full breakdown of what to expect, the average solicitor fees for buying a house guide covers current figures in detail.

How long does conveyancing take, and why can it drag on?

Conveyancing typically takes 4–12 weeks when there are no complications. The average, accounting for chains and lender processing times, sits closer to 12 weeks. In a long chain or where legal issues arise, the process can extend well beyond that.

The stages run roughly as follows:

1. Instruction — you appoint your solicitor and they open the file, request ID documents, and obtain the title register from HM Land Registry. 2. Searches and enquiries — searches are submitted to the local authority and other bodies. The seller's solicitor sends a draft contract and property information forms. Your solicitor raises enquiries on anything unclear. 3. Mortgage offer — your lender carries out its own valuation and issues a formal mortgage offer, which your solicitor reviews and reports to you. 4. Exchange of contracts — both parties sign identical contracts and the deposit (typically 10% of the purchase price) is transferred. At this point the transaction becomes legally binding. 5. Completion — the balance of funds is transferred, ownership changes hands, and you collect the keys. 6. Post-completion — your solicitor pays Stamp Duty Land Tax, registers the title at HM Land Registry, and sends you the title deeds.

Delays in conveyancing most often arise from chain complications, slow responses from third parties, and complex searches or legal enquiries. A seller who is slow to return property information forms, a local authority with a long search turnaround, or a lender taking time to process a mortgage application can each add weeks to the timeline. Your solicitor coordinates with all these parties, but they cannot control the pace of every one of them.

The most effective thing you can do to keep things moving is respond to your solicitor's requests promptly, return signed documents the same day you receive them, and chase your estate agent regularly for updates on the rest of the chain. For more detail on managing timelines, the conveyancing timeline guide covers each stage with realistic expectations.

Why communication and accreditation are the real quality signals

The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is the Law Society's voluntary accreditation for residential conveyancing firms. It requires firms to meet defined standards covering client care, risk management, and file handling. For you as a buyer or seller, it means the firm has been independently assessed against a recognised benchmark, not just self-declared as competent.

CQS accreditation also carries practical weight with mortgage lenders. Most lenders either require it or treat it as a strong indicator of reliability. Instructing a non-CQS firm can, in some cases, mean your lender insists on appointing their own solicitor at your expense.

Communication quality is the most frequent cause of client frustration in conveyancing. Poor communication correlates directly with delays and increased costs — and choosing the lowest fee without regard to accessibility often leads to exactly this outcome.

Beyond CQS, the trust signals worth checking before you instruct are:

• SRA or CLC registration — verify on the relevant regulator's public register
• Professional indemnity insurance — all regulated firms carry this; it protects you if negligent advice causes a financial loss
• Lender panel membership — confirmed for your specific lender, not just "most lenders"
• Named fee earner — a dedicated contact, not a rotating team inbox
• Verified client reviews — look for patterns in feedback, particularly around communication and speed

Choosing a firm purely on price, without checking these signals, is the single most common mistake buyers and sellers make. A firm that is £200 cheaper but takes three days to answer emails can cost you a sale.

Solicitor vs licensed conveyancer: which suits your transaction?

Both solicitors and licensed conveyancers are qualified to handle residential property transactions in England and Wales. The right choice depends on the complexity of your case.

Solicitors

• Regulated by the SRA; hold a full legal qualification covering all areas of law
• Better suited to complex transactions: leasehold with unusual clauses, boundary disputes, transactions involving trusts, or where divorce or probate intersects with the property deal
• Wider legal expertise adds value in complex property transactions beyond conveyancing alone
• Fees tend to be slightly higher, reflecting broader training

Licensed conveyancers

• Regulated by the CLC; specialise solely in property law
• Well suited to straightforward residential freehold purchases and sales
• Often more cost-effective for uncomplicated transactions
• May refer you to a solicitor if a legal issue arises outside their scope

The honest answer is that the individual handling your case matters more than their title. A highly experienced licensed conveyancer will outperform a newly qualified solicitor on a standard freehold purchase every time. What you are really assessing is the person's experience with your specific transaction type, their communication style, and the firm's track record.

Where a solicitor is clearly the better choice:

• Leasehold properties with complex or unusual lease terms
• New-build purchases with developer contracts and tight exchange deadlines
• Transactions involving a gifted deposit, trust, or shared ownership
• Any situation where a legal dispute is possible or already in progress

For a straightforward freehold move, a CLC-regulated licensed conveyancer with strong reviews and CQS accreditation is a perfectly sound choice.

Key takeaways

Choosing the right conveyancing solicitor comes down to accreditation, communication quality, and a fully itemised written quote — not the lowest headline fee.

The thing most people get wrong when choosing a conveyancing solicitor

The conventional wisdom says: get three quotes and go with the best price. That advice is not wrong, exactly — comparing quotes is genuinely useful. The problem is that most people stop there, treating conveyancing as a commodity purchase rather than a professional relationship that will run for three months or more.

The fee is a one-time number. The communication quality is something you will live with every day from instruction to completion. A solicitor who charges £300 more but answers the phone, sends proactive updates, and flags a potential issue before it becomes a crisis is worth considerably more than the saving.

CQS accreditation is the clearest shortcut here. It does not guarantee perfection, but it does mean the firm has been assessed against a defined standard and that your mortgage lender is unlikely to raise objections. Skipping that check to save time is a false economy.

The other thing worth doing before you instruct is being honest about your transaction's complexity. A straightforward freehold purchase in a simple chain is a very different job from a leasehold flat with a short lease, a management company dispute, and a help-to-buy loan to redeem. The second scenario needs a solicitor with specific leasehold experience, not just the cheapest firm that appeared in a comparison search. Ask directly: "Have you handled transactions like mine recently, and what issues typically arise?" A good firm will answer that question confidently and specifically.

Pro Tip: Ask your solicitor at the outset to set a communication schedule — for example, a brief weekly update every Friday regardless of whether there is news. This one request eliminates most of the anxiety that comes from not knowing where your transaction stands.

Fixed-fee conveyancing quotes from vetted UK firms

Saving up to 75% on legal fees compared to standard rates is possible when you use Conveyancing-solicitor to find your solicitor. The platform connects buyers and sellers with five-star, SRA- and CLC-regulated firms across the UK, all offering fixed, transparent fees with no hidden extras. Every firm in the network holds the accreditations your mortgage lender expects, and quotes are itemised so you can see exactly what you are paying for before you commit.

Whether you are buying a freehold property, selling a leasehold flat, or dealing with a more complex scenario, Conveyancing-solicitor matches you with a firm that has the right experience for your transaction. Local and nationwide coverage means there is always a vetted option available, and the instant conveyancing quotes service makes comparing providers a matter of minutes rather than days.

Get your free, fixed-fee conveyancing quote today at Conveyancing-solicitor.co.uk and start your move with a solicitor you can trust.

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