Conveyancing — the legal transfer of property ownership — is the part of buying a house that buyers understand least and suffer most from when it goes wrong. A good conveyancer keeps your purchase moving, spots problems before they cost you, and answers the phone; a bad one loses documents, misses deadlines and turns an 8-week process into a 6-month nightmare. With quotes ranging from £500 to £2,000+, choosing well matters enormously. Here’s how to find a good conveyancer or solicitor for your UK property purchase — and what to do when things stall.
Conveyancer vs solicitor: what’s the difference?
Both do the same job — the legal work of transferring property — but they’re regulated differently. Licensed conveyancers specialise exclusively in property law, regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Solicitors are fully qualified lawyers regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), who may specialise in conveyancing or handle it alongside other work. In practice: a dedicated conveyancing solicitor and a licensed conveyancer do identical work on standard purchases; for complex transactions (leasehold with issues, unregistered land, disputes), a solicitor’s broader legal training can help.
What matters more than the title: that they’re regulated (check the SRA register or CLC register — never use an unregulated operator), that conveyancing is their core work (not a sideline), and that they’re experienced with your transaction type (first-time buyer, leasehold flat, new build and auction purchases each have specific pitfalls). Avoid the cheapest online “conveyancing factories” with suspicion — the rock-bottom quotes often mean your file is handled by unqualified case handlers juggling hundreds of files, which is where transactions go to die.
How to find good candidates
The best sources: your mortgage broker’s recommendations (brokers work with conveyancers daily and know who performs — this is usually the highest-signal source), personal recommendations from recent buyers (ask specifically about communication and speed, not just outcome), and estate agent recommendations treated with caution (some agents receive referral fees — legal, but ask directly whether a fee is paid and how much; a £200 referral fee doesn’t necessarily mean bad advice, but you should know).
Comparison sites and review platforms help, but read reviews critically: conveyancing reviews skew negative because people review when angry — look for patterns (consistent complaints about communication are meaningful; one angry review isn’t). Get 3–4 written quotes and compare like-for-like: the headline fee means little without the disbursements (searches, Land Registry fees, bank transfer fees) itemised. Ask each candidate: how many conveyancers handle cases vs unqualified staff? What’s your average completion time currently? Who exactly will handle my file, and can I speak to them? How do you communicate — phone, email, portal? The answers reveal more than the price. When the purchase completes and the move looms, our moving house guide takes over.
Red flags and green flags
Red flags: quotes dramatically cheaper than everyone else (corners are being cut somewhere); no fixed fee or vague “from £X” pricing; pressure to instruct immediately (“we need you signed up today”); no direct phone number for your case handler; exclusively portal-based communication with no human contact; and poor reviews specifically about lost documents or missed deadlines. Also: conveyancers recommended by the estate agent selling you the property deserve extra scrutiny — the agent’s incentive is speed of sale, not your protection.
Green flags: a named, qualified handler (not “the team”); clear fixed-fee quote with disbursements itemised; proactive communication promises (weekly updates even when nothing’s happening — silence is what drives buyers mad); realistic timescales quoted honestly (currently 8–12 weeks is typical; anyone promising 4 weeks is either exceptional or lying); and specific experience with your situation (leasehold, new build, shared ownership, auction). The initial conversation is diagnostic: good conveyancers ask about your chain position, mortgage status and timescales; bad ones just take your details and quote. Budget for the fees properly — budgeting tools help you plan the full purchase costs, not just the deposit.
What good conveyancing actually involves
Understanding the work helps you judge performance. The core stages: instructing and ID/money-laundering checks; searches (local authority, drainage, environmental — revealing planning issues, flood risk, contamination); reviewing the contract pack and raising enquiries (this is where good conveyancers earn their fee — probing the seller’s solicitor on boundaries, alterations, lease terms); mortgage offer review; survey coordination; exchange of contracts (legally binding — after this, pulling out costs your deposit); and completion (money moves, keys release).
Your role: respond to queries same-day (you are often the bottleneck — every day you take to return a form adds a day to the process), read everything they send (boring but essential — this is the biggest purchase of your life), and ask questions about anything unclear (that’s literally what you’re paying for). Common delays and who’s responsible: slow sellers’ solicitors (your conveyancer should chase weekly and tell you), mortgage offer delays (chase your broker), search delays (local authority dependent — your conveyancer should order them immediately on instruction), and chain problems (nobody’s fault, everybody’s pain).
When it goes wrong: escalation
If your conveyancer goes quiet, misses deadlines or makes errors: first, complain in writing to the firm’s complaints handler (every regulated firm must have a formal complaints procedure — ask for it). Set clear expectations: “I need an update by [date] on [specific issue]”. If unresolved after 8 weeks, escalate to the Legal Ombudsman (for solicitors) or the CLC’s complaints process (for licensed conveyancers) — both can award compensation for poor service.
Can you switch conveyancers mid-purchase? Yes, though you’ll pay for work done and the new firm needs time to get up to speed — it’s worth it if the current one is truly dysfunctional, but not for mere impatience (conveyancing is slow everywhere right now; switching resets the clock). The nuclear option — reporting to the SRA or CLC — is for serious misconduct, not slow service. And throughout: keep your broker and estate agent informed, since they can apply pressure from their side. Most conveyancing complaints trace to communication failures rather than legal errors — which is why choosing for communication quality upfront matters more than choosing for price.
The bottom line
Choosing a good conveyancer or solicitor: verify regulation (SRA or CLC), prioritise your mortgage broker’s recommendation and recent-buyer referrals, get 3–4 itemised fixed-fee quotes, judge on communication quality and named-handler accountability (not just price), understand the process stages so you can spot stalling, respond same-day to keep things moving, and escalate in writing through the formal complaints process if service fails. The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does conveyancing cost in the UK?
Typically £800–£1,500 for legal fees plus £300–£500 in disbursements (searches, Land Registry, transfers). Leasehold and new-build purchases cost more. Get itemised fixed-fee quotes.
Should I use a solicitor or licensed conveyancer?
Both do the same core work. Licensed conveyancers specialise in property; solicitors bring broader legal training useful for complex transactions. Choose on experience and communication, not title.
How long does conveyancing take?
Currently 8–12 weeks is typical for a straightforward purchase; chains, leasehold issues and search delays extend it. Anyone promising 4 weeks should be treated sceptically.
Can I change conveyancer during a purchase?
Yes, but you’ll pay for work completed and the new firm needs ramp-up time. Worth it for genuine dysfunction; not worth it for normal-process impatience.
What do I do if my conveyancer isn’t communicating?
Complain in writing to the firm’s complaints handler with specific expectations and deadlines. After 8 weeks unresolved, escalate to the Legal Ombudsman (solicitors) or CLC (licensed conveyancers).
