In short
Conveyancing quotes look similar, but the service behind them is not. Ask who will actually handle your file, how many cases they carry, how they communicate, and what is excluded from a fixed fee. Instruct as soon as you put the house on the market, not after you accept an offer — it can save several weeks.
Last updated . Reviewed by FindYourAgent editorial.
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Fees
Get every quote in writing, itemised, including VAT and disbursements.
- Is the fee fixed, and what would make it go up? (Leasehold, unregistered land and extra mortgages often do.)
- What disbursements will I pay on top — Land Registry copies, ID checks, bank transfer fees?
- Is there a charge if the sale falls through? How much, and at what stage?
- Are you paying the estate agent or anyone else a referral fee for this work? You are entitled to know.
Who does the work
The firm's name matters less than the person holding your file.
- Who will handle my file day to day, and are they qualified (solicitor, licensed conveyancer, or supervised paralegal)?
- Roughly how many live cases does that person have right now?
- Who covers when they are on holiday or off sick?
- Is the firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers?
- For solicitors: is the firm accredited under the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme? Some lenders require it.
Speed and communication
Most complaints about conveyancers are about silence, not mistakes.
- How do you update clients — online portal, email, phone — and how often?
- How quickly do you normally reply to an email?
- Can you send me the property information forms (TA6, TA10, TA7 if leasehold) now, before I have a buyer?
- How long are your sales taking at the moment from offer to exchange?
Red flags
A quote far below the others with a long list of extras. A firm that will not tell you who will handle the file. No answer to the referral-fee question. A conveyancer who cannot start until you have a buyer.
If something goes wrong later, you complain to the firm first. Unresolved complaints about solicitors and licensed conveyancers go to the Legal Ombudsman.
Our take
Paying a few hundred pounds more for a conveyancer with a sensible caseload is one of the cheapest ways to protect a sale. Chains break when they stall, and stalls usually start in someone's inbox.
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