Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from the seller, to the buyer. We will handle the legal detail and keep you informed in plain English throughout.
Graphene Legal are here to support you
Residential Conveyancing
Purchasing Your Home
- We are appointed to act on your behalf, discuss your transaction, provide initial advice and a clear estimate of costs.
- We confirm your finances are in place, liaise with your lender (where required), and review the contract documentation.
- We carry out property searches, obtain any necessary planning documents, and raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitor.
- We advise you on all documents received, including the terms of your mortgage offer.
- We prepare the final contract for your signature and agree a completion date with all parties.
- We exchange contracts on your behalf and keep you fully informed throughout.
- We arrange for purchase funds to be received from you and your lender and complete the transaction.
- Following completion, we handle payment of any Stamp Duty/Land Tax and register your ownership with HM Land Registry.
Selling Your Home
- We are appointed to act on your behalf, discuss your sale, provide initial advice and a clear estimate of costs.
- We prepare and issue the contract documentation and provide information to all parties involved in the transaction.
- We check the legal title to confirm your ownership of the property.
- We deal with enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitors and keep you informed throughout.
- We advise you on all documents and information relating to the sale and arrange for the contract to be signed.
- We agree a completion date and exchange contracts on your behalf.
- We complete your sale, account to you for the proceeds, and arrange repayment of any existing mortgages or loans.
- We deal with all post-completion formalities.
Remortgaging Your Home
- We are appointed to act on your behalf, discuss your remortgage, and provide initial advice and a clear estimate of costs.
- We obtain title documents from HM Land Registry and review your new mortgage offer.
- We report to you on the terms of your new mortgage and arrange for the mortgage deed to be signed.
- We obtain a redemption statement for your existing mortgage.
- We arrange for funds to be received from your new lender and complete the remortgage.
- We repay your existing mortgage and deal with registration of the new mortgage at HM Land Registry.
Typical Steps and Timescales
Naturally, two of your first questions are:
“What steps are involved in a purchase, sale or remortgage?” and “How long each service will take?”
Property Purchase – Key Stages
Initial Instruction
We will take your details and verify your identity. We also liaise with the seller’s solicitors to confirm we are acting for you.
Reviewing the Contract Pack
Once received, we review the draft contract, title documents and supporting information. We raise any legal enquiries necessary to ensure the property is sound and free from issues.
Searches and Checks
We carry out essential searches, including:
- Local authority
- Environmental
- Water & drainage
Mortgage and Finance
If you are obtaining a mortgage, we act for your lender as well as you, ensuring their requirements are met and reviewing your mortgage offer.
Reporting to You
You will receive a comprehensive written report on the legal title, search results and replies to enquiries so you can proceed with confidence.
Exchange of Contracts
Once both sides are ready, we exchange contracts. At this point, the agreement becomes legally binding and a completion date is fixed.
Completion
Funds are transferred, keys are released and you officially become the owner.
Typical Timescale
8–14 weeks, depending on search turnaround times, chain length and mortgage processing. This is a guide only and each transaction is unique, we cannot, therefore provide you with a guarantee of how long the transaction will take.
(Chain-free transactions often progress faster.)
Property Sale – Key Stages
Instruction and Preparation
We obtain your title documents and prepare the contract pack for the buyer’s solicitors.
Responding to Enquiries
Once the buyer’s solicitor reviews the pack, they will raise enquiries. We assist you in providing accurate responses and resolving any title issues.
Negotiating and Agreeing Terms
We ensure the terms of the sale are clear and that all legal requirements are met before exchange.
Exchange of Contracts
Both parties agree the completion date and contracts are exchanged. You are then legally committed to selling.
Completion
You hand over the keys and we redeem any existing mortgage. Sale proceeds are transferred to you the same day.
Typical Timescale
6–12 weeks, depending on how quickly the buyer progresses with their mortgage, searches and enquiries.
Remortgage – Key Stages
Instruction and Identity Checks
We verify your ID and obtain a copy of your title from the Land Registry.
Reviewing the Mortgage Offer
We ensure your new lender’s requirements are met and check that no changes to the title are required.
Searches or Search Indemnity
Depending on the lender, we either carry out full searches or arrange search indemnity insurance.
Redemption Statement
We obtain a statement from your current lender confirming how much is required to repay your existing mortgage.
Completion
Funds from your new lender are used to pay off your existing mortgage. Any surplus is sent to you.
Registration
We update the Land Registry to show your new lender’s charge.
Typical Timescale
3–6 weeks, depending on lender requirements and search availability.
Our Conveyancing Team
Our conveyancing services are led by Danielle O’Connor, Senior Associate, who brings over 15 years of specialist experience in guiding clients through purchases, sales and remortgages. Danielle oversees a dedicated team committed to clear communication, proactive problem‑solving and a smooth, efficient transaction from start to finish.
Residential Conveyancing Costs
Our fees cover all the work required to complete the Sale, Purchase or Remortgage of your home. We charge a range of fees starting at £750 plus Value Added Tax (‘VAT’) per property.Where we are instructed on your purchase, our fees are based on a combination of average length of time to complete the transaction, location, nature of the property and property price.
If you are buying or selling a Leasehold property, we charge an extra fee of £250.00 plus VAT for handling the additional legal work involved.If you are buying a New Build property, we charge an extra fee of £250.00 plus VAT for handling the additional legal work involved.If the property you are buying or selling is Shared Ownership, we charge an extra fee of £300.00 plus VAT for handling the additional legal work involved.If the property is unregistered, then a supplement of £250 plus VAT will also apply.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as search fees. They will vary depending on the location of the property. For efficiency reasons, we handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out separately below. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the contract pack from the seller’s solicitors.
Typically, disbursements include:
| Conveyancing searches- approx. | £450.00 |
| Land Registry disbursements- approx. | £45.00 (inc OCEs, bankruptcies and OS1) |
| Lawyer Checker or Confirmly | £21.60 |
| Bank TT Fee | £36.00 |
| AML and ID checks- re-mortgage | £13.50 per person |
| AML, ID and VOF checks- purchase | £18.30 per person |
In addition, there is a fee payable to HM Land Registry. This is worked out based on the purchase price and you can work out the amount you will have to pay by using the Land Registry website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees#scale-1-fees
Stamp Duty
In most cases, Stamp Duty Land Tax is also payable. This is calculated on the purchase price of your property although there may be exemptions to payment depending on the law from time to time. For example, if you are a first time buyer. The HMRC has a calculator to assist you on their website at:
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro
or if your property is in Wales you will need to use this link https://lttcalculator.wra.gov.wales/ChargeableTransactionType
Caveat
Our fee assumes that:
- This is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including, for example, (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
- The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise
- All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties in providing documentation