What Does a Solicitor Do When You Buy a House?
Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people will ever make. Whilst many guides explain how to find a property or arrange a mortgage, few explain exactly what your solicitor actually does during the process.
Your solicitor handles the legal side of buying a property, known as conveyancing. Their job is to make sure the property is legally safe to buy, investigate any potential issues and transfer ownership into your name correctly.
Here’s a simple guide to what happens once you instruct a solicitor.
- Confirming the Seller Owns the Property
The first step is checking that the seller legally owns the property and has the right to sell it.
The seller’s solicitor provides legal documents showing:
- property boundaries
- rights affecting the property, such as shared access or rights of way
- restrictions or obligations attached to the property.
Your solicitor carefully reviews these documents to identify any legal concerns before you commit to the purchase.
- Reviewing Property Information
The seller also completes standard property information forms containing practical details about the home, including:
- building works or alterations
- boundaries and responsibilities
- utilities and services
- who lives at the property
- fixtures and fittings included in the sale.
Your solicitor checks this information and raises questions if anything is unclear or needs further investigation.
- Carrying Out Property Searches
Your solicitor will order a series of property searches to uncover information that may not be obvious when viewing the home.
These searches usually include:
- Local Authority searches
- water and drainage searches
- environmental searches.
Searches can reveal issues such as planning restrictions, drainage problems, flood risks or nearby developments that may affect the property.
- Reviewing Your Mortgage Offer
If you are buying with a mortgage, your solicitor will review the mortgage offer and ensure the lender’s legal requirements are met.
In most cases, the solicitor acts for both you and your mortgage lender during the transaction.
- Raising Enquiries
If the searches or paperwork reveal anything that needs clarification, your solicitor will raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitor.
This stage is important because it allows any concerns or risks to be investigated before contracts are exchanged.
The investigation process usually takes around four to six weeks, depending on how quickly information is returned.
How Long Does Conveyancing Take?
For a straightforward purchase, conveyancing typically takes between 8–12 weeks from start to finish.
However, delays can occur due to:
- long property chains
- mortgage approval times
- slow search results
- legal issues identified during investigations.
A good solicitor will keep you informed throughout and explain any delays clearly.
- Exchange of Contracts
Once all legal checks are complete and you are happy to proceed, contracts are exchanged.
At this point:
- the purchase becomes legally binding
- the deposit is paid
- a completion date is agreed
Your solicitor will explain everything before you sign the contract.
- Completion Day
Completion is the day you officially become the owner of the property.
Your solicitor transfers the purchase funds to the seller’s solicitor, ownership changes hands and you can collect the keys to your new home.
After completion, your solicitor also registers you as the new owner with HM Land Registry.
How Marlborough Law Can Help
Buying a home can feel stressful and complicated, especially if it is your first property. An experienced conveyancing solicitor will guide you through each stage, explain the legal process clearly, and help ensure your purchase goes as smoothly as possible.
If you are buying a property and would like advice, the Conveyancing Team at Marlborough Law would be happy to help.
