Finding a Conveyancer

A government survey found that the conveyancing system used in England and Wales is the slowest in Europe. However, the good news is that it is also the cheapest, costing somewhere between 0.5 to 1% of the purchase price.

You can find a solicitor or license conveyancer by:

• Personal recommendation
• Contacting the Law Society
• Looking in Yellow Pages, or the Internet
• Some large estate agents may offer an in-house conveyancing service, but you will probably be better off with an independent solicitor or conveyancer, as an agent's services could lead to a conflict of interest.

When you're looking to buy property, it's worth asking three solicitors or licensed conveyancers to give a rough estimate of their likely costs, based on the property price and whether there are issues that may require extra time to resolve. These might include leasehold queries on the newly built flat, for instance, concerning management company responsibilities, parking and so on, or queries on a repossessed property, where the other party might wish to complete the sale with minimal expenditure of effort. Both of these cases would increase the burden on the buyer's legal representative.

Your conveyancer will need to know the following details:

• the name of the selling agent
• the contact name and telephone number of your lender
• when you would like to take possession
• a list of any special points such as items included in the sale (appliances, carpets, curtains, furniture and so on)
• anything that has been agreed regarding the condition of the property