What is checked during conveyancing? A complete guide
If you’re buying or selling a home, you’re probably asking yourself what is checked during conveyancing before contracts can be exchanged safely. It’s a fair question, because the process involves far more than paperwork.
A conveyancing solicitor manages the legal side of your move, from the first title check to the day you collect your keys. Understanding what is checked during conveyancing helps you spot delays early, budget properly, and keep your sale or purchase moving in the right direction.
This guide walks through each stage in plain English, so you know exactly what your solicitor is doing behind the scenes and why it matters to your timeline.
What is checked during conveyancing by your solicitor?
Before anything else, your conveyancing solicitor confirms who legally owns the property and whether they have the right to sell it. This starts with the title deeds, which are either held by the current owner or registered electronically with the Land Registry.
Title and ownership checks
Your solicitor checks the title register for restrictions, charges, or existing mortgages that need to be cleared before completion. They also confirm the property’s boundaries match what’s shown in the sale particulars, so there’s no confusion about what you’re actually buying.
Identity checks are carried out on both buyer and seller too. This is a standard anti-money-laundering step under UK law, and it protects everyone involved in the transaction from fraud.
Your solicitor will also check for any restrictive covenants attached to the title, such as limits on extensions, business use, or subdividing the land, which could affect your future plans for the property.
What conveyancing searches are carried out?
Conveyancing searches are one of the most important parts of the process. They reveal issues that simply aren’t visible on a viewing, and they give your mortgage lender the confidence to release funds on completion day.
The standard conveyancing searches include:
- Local authority search – checks planning permissions, building regulations, and any enforcement notices affecting the property
- Water and drainage search – confirms how the property connects to mains water and the public sewer network
- Environmental search – flags contamination risks or past industrial use on or near the site
- Flood risk search – assesses the likelihood of flooding, which can affect insurance premiums and mortgage approval
- Mining search – checks for historic mining activity in affected areas, including parts of Greater Manchester
These conveyancing searches are central to what is checked during conveyancing, because they uncover risks that a simple viewing never could. Your solicitor orders them early, since results can take several weeks to come back and often shape later negotiations on price or repairs.
What happens during the contract review stage?
Once searches are back, your conveyancing solicitor reviews the draft contract prepared by the other side. They check the terms match what was agreed, including the price, fixtures and fittings, and the proposed completion date.
Any gaps or inconsistencies are raised as pre-contract enquiries. This back-and-forth between solicitors is completely normal, and it’s designed to catch problems before either party is legally committed to the sale.
Not sure what your conveyancing quote will look like?
Every property is different, and search results can throw up questions specific to your purchase. If you’d like a clear breakdown of costs before you commit, get in touch with our Manchester conveyancing team for a fixed-fee quote and a plain-English explanation of what’s included.
How does a conveyancer handle the financial side of your move?
Your conveyancing solicitor manages the money throughout your transaction. This includes receiving your deposit, transferring exchange and completion funds securely, and paying Stamp Duty Land Tax to HMRC on your behalf.
They’ll also confirm the mortgage offer matches the final purchase price, and on a sale, they’ll repay any existing mortgage using the proceeds before releasing the remaining balance to you.
What other checks might apply to your property?
Depending on the property, your conveyancing solicitor may need to look into a few extra areas. These don’t apply to every sale, but they’re worth knowing about before you make an offer:
- Leasehold checks – reviewing the lease length, ground rent, service charge history, and any major works planned by the freeholder
- Chancel repair liability – an old law that can, in rare cases, make homeowners liable for church repair costs
- Listed building status – restrictions on alterations if the property has heritage protection
- New build checks – confirming warranties, snagging arrangements, and building control sign-off are in place
If your residential conveyancing solicitor identifies any of these issues, they’ll explain what it means for you and how it affects your timeline, rather than leaving you to interpret a search report alone.
Do you need a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer?
Both solicitors and licensed conveyancers are qualified to carry out conveyancing work, and the checks involved are largely the same either way. The main difference is that a solicitor can also advise on wider legal issues that sometimes crop up during a sale, such as disputes with neighbours or complications in an estate.
For most straightforward residential purchases, either option works well. Where things get more complex, such as a leasehold flat with a short lease, a new build with unusual contract terms, or a commercial element to the property, it’s worth choosing a firm with broad experience across property law rather than a single-service provider.
How long does conveyancing take?
Most conveyancing transactions in England and Wales take between eight and twelve weeks from offer to completion, though chains, search delays, and lender requirements can extend this considerably.
Working with a conveyancing solicitor who chases third parties proactively, rather than waiting for updates to come in, makes a noticeable difference to how smoothly your move goes. You can find official guidance on property registration through HM Land Registry, which oversees title records for all of England and Wales.
A stamp duty calculator can also help you budget accurately before you commit to a purchase, since this cost is often overlooked in early planning.
Ready to start your conveyancing with a Manchester solicitor?
Now that you know what is checked during conveyancing, you can approach your move with more confidence. Our Manchester team handles every stage of the process, from initial searches to the day you get your keys, with fixed fees and clear communication throughout.
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