Residential Property Solicitors
“Absolutely happy to contact Leonard Solicitors LLP. Appointments made easily, reaching them fast and everything was dealt with professionally.”
Conveyancing Solicitors for Buying & Selling Property
Whether you’re a first-time buyer, looking to downsize or upsize, or perhaps you’re a landlord investing in a new buy-to-let, our Residential Property Solicitors have got you covered.
Whatever the details of your property transaction, Leonard Solicitors has a wealth of experience in making sure there is a smooth transition of ownership.
Get an Instant Conveyancing Quote
Buying a property
Buying a new home is an exciting milestone for anyone. It brings a new chapter to our lives with the hope of a better future and fresh beginnings. Once you have found the right property you wish to purchase, and your offer has been accepted, our expert Residential Property Solicitors will begin your transaction.
Step 1 – Your offer is accepted on the property and a mortgage offer is received.
Step 2 – You appoint a Solicitor and your ID and Anti Money Laundering checks are completed. We send you a signed client care letter.
Step 3 – Your search fees are paid and we appoint a surveyor.
Step 4 – We review and amend the draft contract, apply for property searches and investigate the title to the property. We raise any further enquiries and send the draft transfer to the seller’s solicitors.
Step 5 – We receive, check and report to you on the property search results and mortgage offer. We then review any replies to further enquiries and inform you of the title to the property. An agreement is made on the exchange of contracts date and completion date.
Step 6 – You will need to approve the reports on the title, searches and mortgage and sign the contract, Transfer Deed and Mortgage Deed.
Step 7 – The reports are sent to the lender and requests funds for completion. We receive a statement from the seller’s solicitor and we prepare a completion statement on your behalf. You will then need to pay deposit monies to us.
Step 8 – Exchange of contracts. From the date of the exchange of contracts, you will need to put a buildings and contents insurance policy in place and make arrangements to move in.
Step 9 – Completion! We pay the seller’s solicitor the balance of monies required to complete. You can then collect the keys from the estate agents. We recommend taking a meter reading and writing a Will to protect your investment.
Selling a property
Selling your home means that you are ready for the next chapter of your life. You may be looking to buy a new home here in the UK or may want to think about moving abroad, either way, once you have accepted an offer from a buyer, our expert Residential Property Solicitors will begin your transaction.
Step 1 – You have accepted an offer on the property.
Step 2 – You appoint a Solicitor where we can complete your ID checks. We send you a signed client care letter.
Step 3 – We complete the enquiry forms and supply documents relating to the property to the buyer’s solicitors.
Step 4 – We will draft a contract, obtain the Land Registry Title and forward your completed enquiry forms and supporting documents to the buyer’s solicitor to review.
Step 5 – We make amendments to the contract and draft a Transfer Deed. We reply to any further enquiries that have been raised and exchange contracts and completion dates.
Step 6 – You will need to sign the contract and Transfer Deed.
Step 7 – We obtain a redemption statement for any existing lender and prepare a completion statement to send to the buyer’s solicitor.
Step 8 – Exchange of contracts. You will need to make arrangements to move.
Step 9 – You can drop the keys to your property to the estate agent. We recommend taking a meter reading. We will receive the completion monies from the buyer’s solicitor and redeem existing charges and pay the balance to you.
In addition to the advice from our Residential Property Solicitors, you may also find the following websites useful:
FAQ’s
How long does it take to buy a house?
From the time of your offer being accepted to when you can move in can take from anything between a few weeks to six months. This often depends on your circumstances, for instance, a cash buy takes relatively quicker than someone who requires a mortgage.
Other factors include:
- The length of the chain
- Waiting to receive a mortgage offer
- If the lender requires additional surveys
- How long it takes for third parties to respond to enquiries
When should I get a Solicitor?
You should get a Solicitor as soon as you have had your offer accepted by the Seller. To legally transfer the ownership of the property, you will need to instruct an experienced solicitor so they can begin the legal process.
How much does the Solicitor cost?
The cost will depend on the value of the property that you are buying. There are some additional charges and disbursements for house purchases, such as Help to Buy and Land Registry Fees. Some of these may not apply to you, so it is best to speak to one of our friendly conveyancing solicitors so that we can explore your individual needs. You can get a free, no-obligation conveyancing quote at the top of the page.
When do I need to pay the fees?
We understand that in today’s world, money can be an obstacle. This is why we don’t ask you to pay the full amount upfront. Instead, you can pay the rest of the fees on completion. So that we can begin the work, we do require our clients to put some money on account to cover the disbursements. This can range between £250-£500, depending on the details of your transaction. You can see the full list of fees you’re paying when you submit a quote online.
How long does it take to sell a house?
Selling a property is a lot more than receiving an offer from a buyer. You will need to take into consideration the conveyancing process before the transfer of ownership takes place.
Typically, selling a property takes less time than buying one, but of course, this has a lot to do with who is buying the property, and if there is a chain of buyers behind them. We recommend getting in touch with our friendly Residential Property Solicitors who can give you a rough estimation on a reasonable timescale, with the more information you have the better.
Conveyancing usually takes between 8-12 weeks on average but can take longer if the property itself is complex or there are third party delays.
When should I get a Solicitor?
You should get a Solicitor as soon as you have accepted an offer from a buyer. To legally transfer the ownership of the property, you will need to instruct an experienced solicitor so they can begin the legal process.
How much does the Solicitor cost?
The cost will depend on the value of the property that you are selling. There are some additional charges and disbursements for property sales, such as Shared Ownership fees. Some of these may not apply to you, so it is best to speak to one of our friendly conveyancing solicitors so that we can explore your individual needs. You can get a free, no-obligation conveyancing quote at the top of the page.
When do I need to pay the legal fees?
We understand that in today’s world, money can be an obstacle. This is why we don’t ask you to pay the full amount upfront. Instead, you can pay the rest of the fees on completion. So that we can begin the work, we do require our clients to put some money on account to cover the disbursements. This can range between £250-£500, depending on the details of your transaction. You can see the full list of fees you’re paying when you submit a quote online.
FAQ’s
How long does it take to buy a house?
From the time of your offer being accepted to when you can move in can take from anything between a few weeks to six months. This often depends on your circumstances, for instance, a cash buy takes relatively quicker than someone who requires a mortgage.
Other factors include:
- The length of the chain
- Waiting to receive a mortgage offer
- If the lender requires additional surveys
- How long it takes for third parties to respond to enquiries
When should I get a Solicitor?
You should get a Solicitor as soon as you have had your offer accepted by the Seller. To legally transfer the ownership of the property, you will need to instruct an experienced solicitor so they can begin the legal process.
How much does the Solicitor cost?
The cost will depend on the value of the property that you are buying. There are some additional charges and disbursements for house purchases, such as Help to Buy and Land Registry Fees. Some of these may not apply to you, so it is best to speak to one of our friendly conveyancing solicitors so that we can explore your individual needs. You can get a free, no-obligation conveyancing quote at the top of the page.
When do I need to pay the fees?
We understand that in today’s world, money can be an obstacle. This is why we don’t ask you to pay the full amount upfront. Instead, you can pay the rest of the fees on completion. So that we can begin the work, we do require our clients to put some money on account to cover the disbursements. This can range between £250-£500, depending on the details of your transaction. You can see the full list of fees you’re paying when you submit a quote online.
How long does it take to sell a house?
Selling a property is a lot more than receiving an offer from a buyer. You will need to take into consideration the conveyancing process before the transfer of ownership takes place.
Typically, selling a property takes less time than buying one, but of course, this has a lot to do with who is buying the property, and if there is a chain of buyers behind them. We recommend getting in touch with our friendly Residential Property Solicitors who can give you a rough estimation on a reasonable timescale, with the more information you have the better.
Conveyancing usually takes between 8-12 weeks on average but can take longer if the property itself is complex or there are third party delays.
When should I get a Solicitor?
You should get a Solicitor as soon as you have accepted an offer from a buyer. To legally transfer the ownership of the property, you will need to instruct an experienced solicitor so they can begin the legal process.
How much does the Solicitor cost?
The cost will depend on the value of the property that you are selling. There are some additional charges and disbursements for property sales, such as Shared Ownership fees. Some of these may not apply to you, so it is best to speak to one of our friendly conveyancing solicitors so that we can explore your individual needs. You can get a free, no-obligation conveyancing quote at the top of the page.
When do I need to pay the legal fees?
We understand that in today’s world, money can be an obstacle. This is why we don’t ask you to pay the full amount upfront. Instead, you can pay the rest of the fees on completion. So that we can begin the work, we do require our clients to put some money on account to cover the disbursements. This can range between £250-£500, depending on the details of your transaction. You can see the full list of fees you’re paying when you submit a quote online.
