UK conveyancing
Transfer of title in England is carried out by solicitors, licensed conveyancers and chartered legal executives. The process begins with searches, becomes legally binding at exchange of contracts and ends with registration at HM Land Registry.
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- A solicitor or licensed conveyancer is instructed.
- The title register is examined at HM Land Registry.
- Searches are opened with the local authority and others.
- Enquiries are put to the seller and answered.
- Contracts are exchanged and the parties are bound.
- Completion transfers the money and the keys.
The purchase timetable describes what happens week by week; the legal process underneath it is regulated separately, and only three professions are permitted to carry it out. The purchase itself is at buying property in the UK.
01
Who is authorised to transfer title in the UK?
GOV.UK names three regulated professions permitted to carry out a transfer of title: solicitors, licensed conveyancers and chartered legal executives. Each is authorised by its own regulator and appears on that regulator's public register.
| Profession | Regulator |
|---|---|
| Solicitor | Solicitors Regulation Authority |
| Licensed conveyancer | Council for Licensed Conveyancers |
| Chartered legal executive | CILEx Regulation |
02
What are the steps in the legal process?
Six steps make up the legal process: appointing a representative, examining the title register, opening searches, answering enquiries put to the seller, exchange of contracts and completion. Completion is the point at which money moves.
03
Which searches are carried out before a purchase?
The representative opens the local authority search first, and adds further searches such as flood risk and mining reports. Search fees are paid in advance and results carry a limited validity, so a delayed file needs them again.
Because results expire, a purchase that stalls can require the same searches to be paid for twice. That is one of the practical reasons a slow chain costs money as well as time.
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04
What separates exchange of contracts from completion?
Exchange is the mutual handing over of signed contracts and binds both parties in law; completion is the moment money transfers and keys change hands. Building insurance is taken out at exchange rather than at completion.
05
Where is ownership registered and what does it cost?
Ownership is registered with HM Land Registry in England and Wales, with Registers of Scotland in Scotland and Land and Property Services in Northern Ireland. Scale 1 fees are published and are higher for postal applications.
The fee is set by the value of the property on the published Scale 1 table, and an application made by post rather than through the portal costs more. Registration is what makes the change of ownership public.
06
Where does a complaint about the legal process go?
A complaint goes first to the firm's own complaints procedure. After the firm's final response it goes to the Legal Ombudsman for the legal profession, or to The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress for an estate agent.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Transfer of title is carried out by a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer or a chartered legal executive, and the process runs from searches through exchange of contracts to completion. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — Ownership of property in England and Wales is registered with HM Land Registry after completion. — 26 August 2026
- HM Land Registry — Registration fees are set on the published Scale 1 table by the value of the property, and postal applications carry a higher fee than portal applications. — 26 August 2026
