Conveyancing solicitors in Leicester

Conveyancing in Leicester: what happens and what it costs

Last updated 26 September 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Conveyancing is the legal work involved in transferring a property from one owner to another. If you’re buying, your conveyancer checks the property, deals with the seller’s side and your lender, and registers you as the new owner. If you’re selling, they prepare the contract, answer the buyer’s questions and pay off your mortgage from the proceeds.

What your conveyancer actually does

On a purchase, the main stages are checking the title (who owns the property and what rights and restrictions come with it), ordering searches, raising enquiries with the seller’s conveyancer, reporting to you on anything unusual, dealing with the mortgage offer, exchanging contracts and then completing. After completion they pay any Stamp Duty Land Tax due and register the transfer at HM Land Registry.

On a sale, they get the title documents, send out a contract pack with the property information forms you fill in, answer the buyer’s enquiries and redeem your mortgage on completion.

Searches in Leicester and Leicestershire

The local authority search comes from whichever council covers the property: Leicester City Council for the city, or one of the district councils in the county (Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire, and Oadby and Wigston). Turnaround times vary between councils and can hold a transaction up, so it’s worth asking your conveyancer how long they’re currently seeing. Other usual searches cover drainage and water, environmental risks and, in parts of the county, coal mining.

Leasehold, new builds and shared ownership

Flats are usually leasehold, and so are some houses. Leasehold purchases take longer because your conveyancer needs information from the landlord or managing agent about service charges, ground rent and the length of the lease. New builds come with their own timetable pressure from the developer. Shared ownership adds a housing association to the chain. All three usually cost more in legal fees, and a good quote will say so up front.

What it costs

Most firms quote a fixed fee for the legal work, plus VAT, plus disbursements (searches, Land Registry fees, bank transfer fees and similar). Firms regulated by the SRA have to publish price information for residential conveyancing, so you can compare before you instruct. When comparing, check whether the quote covers leasehold supplements, the mortgage lender’s work, and Stamp Duty returns, as these are where cheap quotes tend to grow. You can check how much Stamp Duty you’ll pay using the GOV.UK calculator.

Questions worth asking before you instruct

Who will actually handle my file, and how do I reach them? Is the fee fixed, and what would make it change? Are you on my lender’s panel? How do you protect me from payment fraud? Most firms will tell you never to act on emailed changes to bank details, which is good advice whichever firm you use.

Common questions

How long does conveyancing take?

For a straightforward freehold purchase with a mortgage, three to four months from offer to completion is common. Chains, leasehold properties and slow search results can stretch that. A cash purchase with no chain can be much quicker.

Do I need a local conveyancer?

Not necessarily, as most of the work is done by email and online. A local firm can help if you want to meet in person, and some are familiar with particular estates, developers or local issues.

What is the difference between a solicitor and a licensed conveyancer?

Both can handle a house purchase or sale. Solicitors are regulated by the SRA and licensed conveyancers by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. The firms in this directory are all SRA-regulated.

Can I use the same firm as my buyer or seller?

Sometimes, but only in limited circumstances and with safeguards, because of the risk of a conflict of interest. Most people use a separate firm.

This guide is general information about the law in England and Wales and isn't legal advice on your situation. Solicitor Leicester is a directory, not a law firm.