Selling a house - conveyancing solicitors

A guide to selling your house

Anyone wishing to sell their property can market it for sale. Very often this will be done by an estate agent in the locality of the property. Once an offer has been accepted, legal work must then be done for the transaction to proceed.

Once the property has been sold, the seller's solicitor will send a contract and copies of the title to the property to whoever acts for the buyer. The seller will be expected to complete property information forms (giving details of the property) and a fixtures, fittings and contents form (confirming what is included in the sale price).

The seller may also be asked to answer specific questions about the property raised by the buyer's representative. Once the buyer confirms they are ready to proceed a completion date is set. On that date any current mortgage on the property is paid off and the seller's belongings must be removed from the property so that when the keys to the property are handed over to the buyer nothing is left behind which should not be.

On the completion day, the proceeds of the sale after paying all expenses are paid over to the seller.

If you would like more information on our conveyancing services contact our specialist team on 0161 696 6187 for a free, no obligation initial chat, or request more information via our online enquiry form.

How much are solicitor’s fees for selling a house?

Solicitors fees can vary for selling a house, depending on a number of factors. The average costs are usually between £750 - £1,500 for selling only, but your solicitor should be able to give you a tailored conveyancing quote before you commit.

The conveyancing fees for selling a house can also depend on your location and the value of the property. Get tailored selling a house conveyancing quotes from Stephensons by calling 0161 696 6187.

How long does it take to sell a house?

Selling a house isn’t just the process of waiting for an acceptable offer to be made by a buyer; you also need to take into account the conveyancing process once the offer has been accepted, before the property ownership actually changes hands.

The entire process from when your house goes on the market to when the sale completes can take anything from a couple of months to a significantly longer period of time. Some of the factors involved in how long it takes to sell a house include the current state of the housing market in your area (how in-demand houses like the one you are selling are), whether there is a buying chain involved and how long it is, and also how smoothly the conveyancing process goes once you have instructed a selling property solicitor.

Conveyancing itself usually takes around 8-12 weeks on average, but can take longer if the circumstances around the property are complex or third party delays occur.

Do you need a solicitor to sell a house?

The vast majority of house sellers use conveyancing solicitors for selling a house to handle the legal side of the transaction, as it can be a complex process and the consequences if things are not done correctly are serious.

Experienced conveyancing solicitors are ideally placed to help the transaction go as smoothly as possible and to help to deal with any issues that arise along the way, such as any communications required with other parties involved. Using an expert selling a house solicitor can help speed up the process and mean less stress for you.

When do you pay solicitors fees when selling a house?

When you’re selling a property, the legal fees for selling a house are usually due upon completion of the property sale.

There may be some small costs that are due at various points of the conveyancing process before this, such as paying for money laundering checks on the buyers, buying a copy of the title deeds and bank transfer fees for receiving the proceeds of the sale.

What searches do solicitors do when selling a house?

When you sell a property, the majority of searches are done by the buyer and their solicitor, so your selling conveyancing solicitor instead provides information to the other party about things like the property’s basic information and energy efficiency performance.

As a seller, you must maintain an insurance policy on the property until the completion date and if there are tenants in the property, they need to move out or make an agreement with the buyer about what happens when the property changes hands. Your solicitor can handle all of these communications on your behalf, as well as the legal side of the transaction itself when the contracts are exchanged and finally completed.

If you are selling a property and would like more information on our conveyancing services, contact our specialist team on 0161 696 6187.

Selling a house FAQs

What are the legal costs when selling a house?

This depends on the location, value and type of the property - please contact us for a competitive quote.

How long does it take to sell a house?

On average it is approximately 4-6 weeks from the date of submission of a contract to the buyer's solicitor to completion but this can vary depending on the type of transaction and whether there is a chain of linked matters.

When will I have to pay?

Normally we work on a 'no completion no fee'* basis if the transaction is straightforward. Our fees and any other expenses incurred are deducted from the sale proceeds before they are sent to you.

What kind of things do I need to sort out on or after completion?

Meter readings for utility companies, change of address for such things as driving licence/passport/bank etc, cancellation of any related direct debits, removals.

*Subject to terms and conditions