Guides & InsightsBuying a home
What is conveyancing—and what does a conveyancer do?
Understand the legal transfer work, the questions it answers and what remains outside its scope.
Short answer
Conveyancing is the legal work that transfers ownership or a qualifying interest from seller to buyer. The legal professional reviews the contract and title, arranges searches, raises enquiries, handles completion funds and submits post-completion registrations and tax work.01
The core job
The conveyancer turns an agreed transaction into a legally completed transfer. They check the seller’s title and the contract papers, identify restrictions or missing information, order the searches appropriate to the transaction and report the legal position to you and, where relevant, your lender.
02
What to ask before instructing
Compare scope rather than one headline fee. Ask who will handle the file, what communication to expect and which items are estimates or third-party disbursements.
- Is the quote fixed, conditional or time-limited?
- Which searches and leasehold supplements are included?
- Who covers the file during absence?
- How are identity checks, bank details and payment instructions verified?
03
What conveyancing is not
A conveyancer is not carrying out a building survey and does not replace your own inspection of the property. Searches mainly answer legal, environmental and infrastructure questions from defined sources; a survey investigates physical condition within its stated scope.
This guide explains a process, not the legal advice needed for a specific transaction.
Sources and review
Check the original guidance
- 01Buying a home: making an offer GOV.UK · checked 6 September 2026
- 02How to buy a home GOV.UK · checked 6 September 2026
Manual launch edition. Material claims are linked to the sources above. Time-sensitive rules must be checked again at the next review date or when an official source changes.