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Buying or Selling a Property?
Conveyancing Solicitors across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, the North East and beyond.
Get in touch
To find out how our conveyancing solicitors can help with your residential property purchase or sale, contact the team today
What We Can Help You With
Buying or selling a property is likely to be the largest financial transaction most people make. Getting the legal side right matters.
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership from one person to another. Your solicitor checks that the property is exactly what you are paying for, that there are no problems you would only discover after moving in, and that the transfer of ownership is completed properly.
We handle residential conveyancing for buyers, sellers and those remortgaging. All transactions can also be managed entirely remotely.
Why Do People Choose Us?
A few practical things that make a difference:
- Saturday morning opening at several offices including Hull, Beverley, Scunthorpe, Willerby and Barton
- 7am opening so you can drop off documentation before your working day starts
- Remote conveyancing available for clients at any distance
- Strong working relationships with local estate agents across our regions
- We work closely with mortgage providers on your purchase
- One-to-one conveyancing throughout your transaction
What We Handle
Buying a property
We review the title, raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitor, carry out searches, report back on what we find, handle exchange of contracts and manage the transfer of funds on completion.
Selling a property
We prepare the contract pack, deal with the buyer’s enquiries, handle the discharge of any existing mortgage and manage the transfer of title to the new owner.
Remortgaging
If you are changing mortgage lender, the new lender will usually require a solicitor to handle the legal side. We deal with this promptly.
Searches: What Are They And Why They Matter
Before exchange of contracts, your solicitor carries out property searches with various organisations to check for matters affecting the property that you would not see on a physical inspection.
The main ones are:
Local Authority Search: checks planning history, road and footpath responsibilities, nearby development proposals and other matters registered with the council.
Drainage and Water Search: confirms whether the property is connected to mains water and sewer and shows the location of public sewers within the boundary.
Environmental Search: assesses contamination risk based on historical land use. This matters because in some circumstances the current owner of contaminated land can be required to fund remediation, regardless of who caused the problem.
Depending on where the property is, additional searches may be needed, such as flood risk, coal mining or chancel repair. We will advise if any of these apply.
If you are buying with a mortgage, your lender will ordinarily require searches. If you are a cash buyer, we strongly recommend them. Problems discovered after completion are considerably more expensive than finding them beforehand.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the difference between freehold and leasehold?
A freehold property means you own the land and building outright. A leasehold property means you own the right to occupy it for a fixed period under a lease granted by the freeholder. Flats are almost always leasehold. Houses can be either. Leasehold conveyancing is more involved, and the terms of the lease matter considerably, particularly the length remaining.
Do I need a survey as well?
Yes. A survey and conveyancing are separate things. A survey is a physical inspection of the property’s condition carried out by a surveyor. Conveyancing deals with the legal title. The mortgage valuation carried out by your lender is not the same as a survey and does not protect you as a buyer. For most people buying a property, a Homebuyer’s Report or full structural survey is money well spent.
What are exchange and completion?
Exchange of contracts is the point at which the sale becomes legally binding for both. Before exchange, either party can pull out. After exchange, a fixed completion date is set. Completion is when ownership transfers, funds move and keys are released. The two events are sometimes on the same day but more often a few days or weeks apart.
When do I pay the deposit?
On exchange of contracts, typically 10% of the purchase price. If you are buying and selling at the same time, your solicitor will use the deposit received from your buyer towards the deposit on your purchase. Both transactions usually exchange at the same time for exactly this reason.
What is stamp duty land tax?
Stamp duty land tax is paid by buyers on property purchases above a certain threshold. The amount depends on the purchase price, whether you are a first-time buyer, and whether you already own property. The rates change periodically. We will calculate and submit your stamp duty return on completion. Current rates are available here
What is a property chain?
A chain is a sequence of linked sales and purchases, each depending on the others completing at the same time. Delays or problems in one part of the chain can affect everyone else. We chase progress at each stage and keep you updated throughout. If complications arise we will tell you what they are and what options are available.
How long does Conveyancing take?
Between eight and twelve weeks on average, though this varies. A simple transaction with no chain and a clear title moves faster. A longer chain, additional searches or complications with the title takes longer. We will give you a realistic expectation at the start rather than a figure that turns out to be optimistic.
What happens on completion day?
Your solicitor transfers the funds to the seller’s solicitor. Once received, the keys are released. Your solicitor then registers the change of ownership with the Land Registry, which takes several weeks but does not affect your ability to move in on the day.
Do I need a solicitor to remortgage?
If you are switching to a new lender, yes. The new lender needs a solicitor to handle the legal side of replacing the existing mortgage. If you are moving to a new deal with the same lender, a solicitor is not usually required.
Buying, Selling or Remortgaging?
Fill in our Quick Quote Calculator on the page, or call Pepperells today 0800 098 2064
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Pepperells Limited, registered in England and Wales: No. 10244781 | Registered Office: 100 Alfred Gelder Street, Hull, East Yorkshire, HU1 2AE | Authorised & Regulated by The Solicitors Regulation Authority | Regulation Authority Numbers 636188, 638556, 638554, 647027, 668558, 807163, 818433, 832782, 830125, 8000373, 8007670, 8007671, 8009311, 8009312, 8013429, 8013430, 8013428 and 8013376 | www.sra.org.uk
Pepperells Solicitors are committed to ensuring that all Partners, Consultants and Employees give their full co-operation to the Legal Ombudsman in the event of any dispute or complaint against our firm, contact details of which can be found at www.legalombudsman.org.uk. VAT No. 365 0589 36