Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of property from one person to another, and it is the daily work of countless solicitors. Behind every house move sits a structured sequence of investigations, contracts, deadlines, and registrations — each with its own rules and its own moment where things become binding. Understanding that sequence is what lets you protect your client, hit every deadline, and know precisely where the deal stands at any given point.
This lesson follows a freehold sale from beginning to end, so you can see how each stage connects to the next.
- Overview and Caveat Emptor — the five stages of a transaction, when a binding contract arises, and why the risk of hidden defects sits with the buyer.
- Pre-Contract Stage and Title Investigation — the searches a buyer's solicitor runs and how the seller proves ownership in registered and unregistered land.
- The Contract — the formalities that make a land contract valid and the standard conditions that fill in the detail.
- Exchange and the Period to Completion — the moment the deal becomes binding, the deposit, and how the buyer's interest is protected.
- The Transfer Deed and Completion — what makes a valid deed and how the legal estate actually passes.
- Failure to Complete and Remedies — notices to complete and the remedies open to each party.
- Post-Completion — SDLT, registration deadlines, and discharging the seller's mortgage.