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The UK conveyancing process for buyers involves a series of legal steps to transfer property ownership. 

Here’s a simplified version:

 1.  Offer Accepted

•   McKinlays help you negotiate an offer on a property, and the seller accepts it.
•   At this point, you can instruct a solicitor or conveyancer to handle the legal work. It is important to choose the right solicitor, cheap is generally not the best. McKinlays have a list of trusted Solicitors that we can recommend. We recommend the individual solicitor, not the firm, to ensure that our recommendations are steadfast, ask for more information

2.  Initial Checks and Searches

•  Instruct a Solicitor/Conveyancer: They will carry out legal checks and searches, such as checking the title deeds, property boundaries, and local authority plans.
•  Property Searches: Your solicitor will conduct searches on the property to check for issues like flooding, planning permissions, or rights of way that could affect the property.

3.  Mortgage Offer

• If you’re using a mortgage, you’ll need to formally apply for it.
• Once your lender is satisfied, they’ll issue a mortgage offer, confirming the amount they’ll lend and the terms of the loan.

McKinlays can recommend financial advisors that can help you.

4.  Draft Contract and Negotiations

• Your solicitor will receive the draft contract from the seller’s solicitor. This document outlines the terms of the sale.
• Your solicitor reviews it, and you may negotiate any points, such as the completion date or any repairs that need to be made, which McKinlays will help you with.

5.  Signing the Contract

• Once both parties agree on the contract, you sign it.
• At this point, a deposit (usually 10%) is paid to the seller's solicitor.

6.  Exchange of Contracts

• The signed contracts are exchanged between both solicitors.
• This makes the sale legally binding, and you’re committed to completing the purchase.
• A completion date is set (usually within 1-4 weeks).

7.  Completion

• On completion day, your solicitor transfers the funds to the seller’s solicitor, and you receive the keys to your new property.
• McKinlays will call to let you know it has completed and where to collect the keys
• The property officially belongs to you!

8.  Post-Completion

• Your solicitor registers the property with the Land Registry in your name. 
• They also pay any stamp duty (if applicable) and deal with any final paperwork.

This simplified process covers the key stages, but your solicitor will guide you through each step, ensuring the transaction is legally sound and protecting your interests.

Click here to download the Process