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Buying or selling a home is, for most people, the largest financial transaction they will ever make. If you are moving in or around Reading and have started looking into the legal side, you have probably come across the word conveyancing. This article explains what a conveyancing solicitor actually does, what you can expect to pay, and how long the process usually takes, so that you can approach your move with a clear understanding of what lies ahead.
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one person to another. It covers everything from the moment your offer is accepted to the point where the keys change hands and your ownership is registered. The work is similar whether the property is freehold, where you own the building and the land it stands on, or leasehold, where you own the right to live in the property for a fixed number of years but not the land itself.
A great deal of the work happens behind the scenes. Your solicitor reviews the contract of sale, raises enquiries with the seller's solicitor, and checks the legal title to make sure the seller is entitled to sell and that there are no hidden problems. They carry out searches with the relevant local authority, which in the Greater Reading area may be Reading Borough Council, Wokingham Borough Council, or West Berkshire Council, depending on where the property sits. These searches reveal matters such as planning history, road schemes, and whether the property sits in a conservation area or flood risk zone.
Your solicitor also handles the money. They deal with your mortgage lender, calculate and submit your Stamp Duty Land Tax return, transfer the purchase funds on completion, and register your ownership with HM Land Registry once the sale has gone through.
Conveyancing costs fall into two parts: the legal fee, which is what the firm charges for its work, and disbursements, which are payments the firm makes to others on your behalf. Disbursements typically include the cost of searches, HM Land Registry fees, and, where it applies, Stamp Duty Land Tax.
Stamp Duty Land Tax is often the largest single cost. At the time of writing, a standard buyer in England pays nothing on the first 125,000 pounds of the price, then 2 per cent on the portion up to 250,000 pounds, and 5 per cent on the portion up to 925,000 pounds. First-time buyers pay nothing up to 300,000 pounds and 5 per cent on the portion between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds, with the relief falling away entirely if the price is above 500,000 pounds. If you are buying an additional property, such as a second home or a buy-to-let, a surcharge of 5 per cent applies on top. The return must be filed and the tax paid within fourteen days of completion. These figures change from time to time and should always be checked before relying on them.
A straightforward purchase usually takes somewhere between eight and sixteen weeks from offer to completion, although this varies considerably. The length of the chain, the speed of search results, and how quickly mortgage offers are issued all play a part. Being responsive when your solicitor asks for documents or information is one of the most effective ways to keep things moving.
If you are buying a leasehold property, often a flat, there are extra checks. Your solicitor will review the lease, the length of the term remaining, the ground rent and service charge arrangements, and any restrictions. Leasehold reform has been an active area of change in recent years, so it is worth taking advice early if the lease is short or the terms look unusual.
If you are buying or selling a home in Reading, Caversham, Woodley, Earley, or the wider Thames Valley, Hewetts Solicitors can guide you through the process from start to finish. Please contact us to discuss your move and request a clear quote.
Debbie Sumitra - d.sumitra@hewetts.co.uk
Published on 14/07/2026