Purchase · Sale · Remortgage
Residential Conveyancing
From studio flats to high value homes — plain-language conveyancing with a named solicitor throughout.
We act on residential property transactions of all sizes and aim to ensure that our clients’ individual needs are met in a timely, cost-effective way.
Regnum has acted in residential transactions of all sizes, ranging from high value properties to studio flats to use as homes or investments. We work hard to fully understand the individual needs of each client. Many of our new clients are referrals from existing clients.
Whether you are purchasing your dream home, selling your home or buying an investment property, at Regnum you will work with a named member of our team, who will provide personalised legal support throughout the process and keep your transaction moving to completion on time.
We are happy to speak to you about the progress of your purchase or sale on the phone at any time; and we will always be ready to take the time to explain the transaction to you in plain language, free of legal jargon, so you are aware of and updated on all aspects of the transaction.
What you can expect
- A named, experienced solicitor handling your file from instruction to completion
- Plain-English updates — no jargon, no chasing
- A written cost estimate before you commit
- A single point of contact who knows your file, not a case-reference queue
What to expect
How the work runs
The process, the timescales and the third-party costs involved — so there are no surprises once you instruct us.
How long a transaction will take from your offer being accepted until completion will depend on a number of factors. On average the process takes between 4–6 weeks if the property is freehold and 6–12 weeks if the property is leasehold.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the position of parties in the chain. For example, if you are a cash buyer purchasing a chain-free vacant property the transaction can be quicker. However, in the following circumstances — and sometimes a combination of them — a transaction can take significantly longer, between 2 and 4 months:
- If there is a chain
- If the seller has a tenant in the property that has to be evicted before completion
- If the seller has passed away and a grant of probate has not been obtained yet
- If you are buying a leasehold property that requires a lease extension or a variation to be made to the lease
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. Below are the key stages of a typical purchase.
- Carrying out our firm’s usual client on-boarding procedure and all checks (including AML checks) required by law
- Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
- Checking finances are in place to fund the purchase and contacting the lender’s solicitors if separately represented
- Receiving and advising on contract and title documents
- If applicable, advising you in respect of joint ownership
- Carrying out searches and reviewing results received from the respective authorities
- Reviewing any planning, listed building and building regulation documentation, and obtaining further documentation if required
- Making any necessary enquiries of the seller’s solicitor
- Advising you on all documents and information received
- Going through the conditions of the mortgage offer where applicable
- Drafting and engrossing the Transfer
- Obtaining your signature on the final form of contract, transfer and mortgage deed — in a meeting where possible
- Obtaining pre-completion searches
- Agreeing the completion date (the date from which you own the property)
- Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
- Arranging for all monies needed to be received from the lender and from you
- Completing the purchase
- Dealing with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax
- Dealing with the application for registration at the Land Registry
- Dealing with any other post-completion requirements, such as serving notice of transfer by the title deed and notice of charge by your lender
Alongside our own charges, a property transaction involves disbursements — costs paid to third parties on your behalf. These are set by the third party, not by us, and we will set out the ones that apply to you in your written estimate.
- Search fees — local authority, environmental, water authority and chancel repair liability searches
- HM Land Registry fees, set according to price and application type
- Stamp Duty Land Tax, which depends on the purchase price and your circumstances
- On leasehold properties, fees set out in the lease — notice of transfer, notice of charge, deed of covenant, certificate of compliance and share transfer fees