Online Conveyancing Solicitors

The Future of Residential Property Buying and Selling…

In this world of digital technology, it appears that there is nothing too difficult or impossible to do online… From your weekly shopping to checking out what your best friend is up to on social media, there’s no better time to be connected and nothing more straightforward to master than using digital platforms for every aspect of your life, which leaves you with more time to do the things you really want to do.

And the use of technology also includes the buying and selling of property – online.

If you have just had your offer accepted on your dream home, you’ll have to have a mortgage offer in principle, as not many of us are in the position of being able to purchase the new property with cash.

This means you’re probably now in the position of deciding about a conveyancing solicitor – which then leads to the question – should you use an online conveyancing solicitor or use a local one which is the more traditional option when buying and selling a house?

If you are already an expert in the details of online conveyancing, why not complete your free online conveyancing quote now!

Conveyancing Online

If you’d instead opt for convenience and speed over the choice of meeting your appointed conveyancer in real life, then online conveyancing is definitely the way forward.

Today, the view of using the family solicitor for everything has thankfully changed, and with the advent of technology, everything and anything is possible.

The legal landscape has changed rapidly in recent years, and the rate of property transactions are at an all-time high -over 30%, so the speed is of the essence. A recent Law Society survey found that each abortive property transaction costs each of the parties involved in excess of over a thousand pounds.

People have been seeking and selling property online for years, and therefore the property sector overall has had to keep up with these digital changes by offering additional services online – this includes mortgage applications, legal services as well as with online conveyancing.

The Future

The advent of the internet has totally changed the process of buying and selling homes through the expansion of markets with opportunities for homeowners to both access sellers and buyers online.

What’s more, the internet can help us manage our finances by making all of our purchases easier and more accessible.

So, it makes no difference whether you’re a buyer or seller, or even an investor, having online access has changed the way in which we can buy and sell homes from the very first viewing to the final completion.

With it, you can look at thousands of different properties from right across the world in just a few seconds, and you can buy and sell properties from the comfort of your own home, thanks to online real estate websites.

People often forget how expensive the moving process can build up to be, and there are always undoubtedly different costs that are easy for you to forget to include.

To help you save every penny possible, Moving Sorted have optimised their conveyancing procedure for their clients by redirecting all their savings directly to you to give you an incredible price for excellent conveyancing services.

Have your digital tools to hand and start to explore the world of the internet – cut out the hassle and take control of your house purchase yourself!

What Actually are Conveyancing Services?

Conveyancing is the process of preparing legal documents for property buying and selling, re-mortgaging or lease extension, and the transfer of legal ownership of the property is being sold.

If you’re buying or selling a house, you’ll need a conveyancer or a property solicitor to deal with the Land Registry, draw up your property contracts and transfer the cash.

They’ll also make sure the legal ownership of the property passes from the seller to the buyer.

So, why not experience an entirely stress-free conveyancing process by handing over control to a dedicated team of licensed professionals – online.

What’s the Difference Between a Solicitor and a Conveyancer?

A UK solicitor is a legal professional with specialised training in different branches of the law and may be qualified to provide a number of legal services in a variety of different legal fields and are required to practice as members of The Law Society in the UK.

Whereas a conveyancer is a specialist in the legal aspects of specifically property sales and purchases – typically, a conveyancer is less expensive than a solicitor, and many large law firms hire licensed conveyancers to offer property services on their behalf.

Suppose you choose to have an online conveyancing solicitor with the information you provide your provider’s database. In that case, they will identify the best price and offer a handpicked solicitor for your conveyancing needs.

Let’s imagine you choose a reputable online company such as Moving Sorted, for example. In that case, your conveyancing solicitor will be highly experienced in the type of conveyancing you require, as well as in the local area that your property is – this ensures you will be given the best support for the most efficient conveyancing process.

For example, at Moving Sorted, your bespoke conveyancing solicitor will be entirely dedicated to your specific conveyancing case – most other law firms typically have multiple other pending cases in many different categories of law, which inevitably slows down the conveyancing case.

However, Moving Sorted work exclusively for you to complete the conveyancing services to create an exceptionally faster and stress-free online conveyancing process.

Should I Choose a Solicitor or a Conveyancer?

Choosing between a dedicated licensed conveyancer and solicitor is up to you, although it appears that the majority of people in the UK are happy to instruct conveyancers to handle their property sales and purchases.

As buying and selling property is said to be one of the most important as well as stressful decisions in life, it is essential that you choose someone you are comfortable with when it comes to your legal representation.

Therefore, the decision you make may simply come down to the legal provider that you have developed a good rapport with and to whom you trust your legal affairs.

When it comes to conveyancing, the two roles of a solicitor and a conveyancer are very similar. The major difference is who they are regulated by. In England and Wales, solicitors must be registered with the Law Society and are regulated by the (SRA) Solicitors Regulation Authority, whereas The (CLC) Council also regulates licensed Conveyancers for Licensed Conveyancers.

Before The 1985 Administration of Justice Act, you had little choice but to use Conveyancing Solicitors. It was this act that enabled Licensed Conveyancers to offer their services to home buyers and owners when it came to buying or selling.

What’s the Difference Between Them?

Solicitors are trained in a variety of legal fields, which can range from family law or litigation through to criminal law. When a solicitor has finished their training, they will normally be specialised in a particular area or areas of law, including property.

However, Licensed Conveyancers are exclusively focused on property transactions and have to sit a number of exams and obtain qualifications that are totally focused on just property transactions.

But who you choose is totally up to you and depends on your individual requirements.

The Role of Your Conveyancing Solicitor

During the house-buying process, your legal representative is there to explain the processes of buying and selling of a property; deal with all of your necessary legalities; and to interpret any confusing legal jargon as you go along.

It is your legal service provider’s responsibility to advise you on contract details, deeds, searches as well as timeframes.

It is part of the conveyancing service to draft up and examine property contracts and other legal documents and raise any queries or concerns there may be along the way.

As your legal conveyancing representatives, it’s their responsibility to negotiate with the other party’s solicitor or conveyancer over any complicated or confusing legal areas.

What does a Property Solicitor or Conveyancer Do?

Each house sale and purchase is different, no two are the same. What needs to be done will be different too.

In general, your conveyancing solicitor will manage the sale for you, which includes dealing with the Land Registry, collecting monies and providing legal advice.

They’ll also review your legal contracts and deal with the seller’s solicitor. They’ll make sure the funds are transferred on completion day and the property passes to you.

There are other duties that they need to carry out during the conveyancing process: including property searches – before you exchange contracts, your solicitor or conveyancer will carry out a number of essential checks about your property – in some cases, they might even discover issues that could influence how much the intended property is worth, or even whether you should proceed with the sale – so it’s absolutely essential to do these before the sale is legally binding.

Searches

Some of the legal searches a conveyancing solicitor will carry out are likely to include: Local authority searches to gather information about issues such as environmental issues, proximity to railway lines and development plans that might affect the property.

The Land Registry search is to check the title register and legal ownership.

Drainage searches are to check whether the property is connected to mains drainage and water supply.

Environmental searches are to find out about issues such as flood risks, ground stability and landfill sites in the local area.

Chancel repair liability: if your property is close to a church, your conveyancing solicitor will check whether you’ll be liable to contribute towards church repairs.

Additional searches depending on factors in your area, and the seller of the property you’re buying will be asked to fill questionnaires about their house, which will include a TA6 – this is general information on boundaries, parking, insurance and whether there are any existing planning notices that could affect the property – the TA10 which gives the seller the opportunity to say which fixtures and fittings they intend to include in the sale of the property and the TA13 which covers some of the finer details about the completion of the sale. The TA7, which is for leasehold and share-of-freehold properties only, and contains information on the lease Energy performance certificate.

Your conveyancer will review this important information for any issues that could affect your offer, but you should read it carefully yourself as well.

If your conveyancer has questions about anything the searches or seller forms have revealed, they’ll discuss with the seller’s solicitor.

The conveyancer will also answer any questions that the seller might have. For example, suppose it’s a leasehold property. In that case, the seller should have provided full information on the lease – your conveyancer should read through the lease terms with you, including ground rent and service charges.

Your conveyancer should talk you through the major findings of all their work and talk to you about any potential issues that may have arisen from their searches.

Before exchanging, they should check that you fully understand everything and that you’re happy to go ahead.

For a comprehensive overview of the searches and actions carried out by conveyancing solicitors, check out our article on the cost of conveyancing fees.

The Conveyancing Process: Step-by-Step

While every property purchase and sale is different, it will generally work like this – before you exchange

You’ll instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to act on your behalf.
You make an offer on the desired property, and the seller accepts.
Your conveyancer or solicitor carries out all the relevant legal searches on the property and writes to the seller’s solicitor/conveyancer requesting a draft contract and any other selling documents.
During this period, you should organise a house survey and buildings’ insurance – this is the time you’ll exchange contracts.
You both sign copies of the contract – you’ll also agree to a completion date.
Contracts are exchanged. At this point, the sale is legally binding, and you must have the buildings’ insurance in place.
You pay an exchange deposit to the seller of the property you’re buying.
After you’ve exchanged, your conveyancer lodges an interest with the Land Registry on. Your behalf.

Completion

Your licensed conveyancer now receives mortgage funds from your lender, which is often the day before completion.
On completion day, your conveyancer transfers all outstanding money to the seller’s solicitor/conveyancer.
Once the seller’s solicitor confirms the money has been received, the property is yours.

After the sale

The licensed conveyancer registers the transfer of property with the Land Registry.
You have 30 days to pay your stamp duty bill, if you owe it – your solicitor will usually arrange this for you.

What do you need to do?

Before exchanging contracts, you’ll need to ensure you have a secure a mortgage offer, in writing, from your finance lender, and then your conveyancer will review the offer for you.

Your lender will usually require you to have a mortgage valuation as part of the conveyancing process – however, keep in mind that this is different from the house survey, which you should also carry out.

The valuation is for the lender’s benefit because a house survey is carried out to identify any defects or structural problems.

You’ll also need to organise buildings insurance to take effect from the date of exchange, as the property becomes your responsibility at this point – most mortgage providers will require this as a condition of lending.

Then it becomes the quiet time, and there may be some weeks where, although it may seem like nothing is happening. Still, during this period, your conveyancer is probably carrying out searches and making enquiries – just make sure you keep in touch with them to ensure everything is going smoothly.

The role of licensed conveyancing solicitors is, therefore, a complex minefield of legal complexities, and it’s therefore essential that you have a professional, licensed conveyancing expert who is knowledgeable in this legal field who are fully regulated and authorised by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and/or the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Traditional Conveyancing

Traditionally going to a conveyancing solicitor could be a laborious and lengthy process – first, you had to find a reputable local conveyancer and then take the time to book an appointment and then visit and talk to them about your specific needs.

And you have to fit in with their time.

If you are not familiar with this particular area of what conveyancers do, it is likely that you will not know what to look for, and the whole procedure can be very time-consuming and stressful.

There is always also the unfortunate possibility that you may not like the conveyancing solicitor, which can then quickly become a very unpleasant buying experience – and the whole situation may then have to be repeated over and over again until you finally find a licensed conveyancer who suits you completely.

Whoever you choose, you have to ensure you refer to specialist conveyancing solicitors who hold the Law Society specialist accreditation and are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

However, when it comes to an online conveyancing solicitor, the situation is entirely different. You can contact a person who seems right for the conveyancing solicitor role from the warmth of your own home. You do not have to leave your house to get the job done.

Another problem with the traditional conveyancing approach is that if you want to compare a number of different conveyancing solicitors, you need actually to go and visit all these different conveyancing solicitors.

An online conveyancing solicitor services make the whole process so much easier for you as you can find all the information you are interested in on the conveyancing company’s website

All you have to do is to research the professional conveyancers’ websites and search their clients’ reviews about whether they are licensed conveyancers, do they offer a fee guarantee and all their conveyancing services.

It’s as simple as that!

There are online providers such as Moving Sorted who offer low-cost conveyancing services which start at just £153 and who also provide fixed conveyancing fees so you’ll know exactly how much buying or selling will cost you from the outset, with no nasty surprises or hidden extras.

Our Online Conveyancing Process with our experienced conveyancing team will guide you every step of the way throughout your property buying or selling journey.

The advantage of online conveyancing solicitor services such as Moving Sorted is that you can get a quote even before you hire us, which was completely impossible before, as, in the past, a client would get a bill from a conveyancing solicitor at the end of the entire process, which means that, in most cases, people would have no idea how much it would all cost them – they could just ask others who had a similar experience and then hope for the best.

On websites like MovingSorted.com, you can get instant quotes in less than thirty seconds to find out what kind of prices to expect. You can then compare them and see which option suits you best. And all of this is free!

Win, win!

Exceptional Legal Services – Every time

Since the whole process takes place online, any communication with the conveyancing solicitor is much faster and more straightforward than the traditional way of using a local person from the high street…

Suppose you have a question or just want to give specific instructions to the conveyancing solicitor. In that case, you can do it via email or phone conversation- the great thing is that you don’t have to wait for a meeting with your conveyancing solicitor to discuss a particular subject because you can do it right away.

All of this significantly speeds up the progress of the conveyancing procedure, which is great because you probably know how long it would take if you hired a local conveyancing solicitor with whom you would have to meet every time you needed something answered, which not many people have time to do, or wait for them to be free to speak to you on the phone.

Besides, companies such as Moving Sorted offer each of their clients a control panel that allows them to have an overview of the entire conveyancing process so that you can monitor everything online yourself.

You can also get an estimated date when everything will be completed so that you know what you can expect.

What are the Benefits of Using Online Conveyancing Services?

Professional online conveyancing services offer conveyancing and survey services with one goal in mind, to make the exchange of property as simple and as practical as possible.

Purchase, sale and re-mortgaging of your property can be seamless and hassle-free with the help of our licensed professional conveyancers at Moving Sorted.

You can also protect your new investment with a Property Valuation report, a Homebuyer Report or a Building survey and we provide accredited checks through licensed professionals.

So, a local solicitor isn’t essential for the conveyancing process. However, at Moving Sorted, we still ensure our online team have the local expertise to provide a comprehensive conveyancing service.

We offer first-class quality conveyancing solicitors who are highly experienced in the professional exchange of all types of properties, which gives you the best opportunity to sell, purchase or re-mortgage a property hassle-free and affordably.

Our partners are fully regulated and authorised by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and/or the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Bespoke Services

At Moving Sorted, we are well-known for our practical online approach to our conveyancing services.

Because of the specialist legal knowledge that has been gained from years of conveyancing experience, a more tailored and personal approach is undertaken in finding you the best options. Because of this, we are able to maintain a consistent devotion to meeting and exceeding all of your needs and expectations throughout every stage of the conveyancing process.

But What are Bespoke Services?

Bespoke services are an online service provided that is entirely made and personalised for the individual customer through the use of a free online quote.

All. You have to do is fill in an online form that will ask a few questions based on your situation, so we can get a grasp of what’s needed for you – and by completing this form in just a few minutes online, you will be able to find the best option for you as quickly as putting the kettle on.

This is an approach to get the best for you at the best price.

Because of the information that you will provide, we will be able to hand-pick the perfect conveyancer for you and one that will be entirely committed to your conveyancing case when you need them.

It’s as easy as that, and it’s free with no obligations afterwards.

100% Transparent Costs

When money is involved, the last thing you want to do is trawl through endless pages of fine print to make sure it’s not getting funnelled into some dodgy pyramid scheme because of a line of fine print you didn’t have time to read correctly.

To make sure you never have to worry about this, there is a guaranteed assurance that you really won’t have to worry about small print or hidden legal fees.

With Moving Sorted’s Fixed Fee policy, this will protect you from any additional legal fees that can sometimes pop up and will ensure you will only ever pay the amount agreed upon at the beginning of this process.

As well as this, there is also a No Move, No Fee guarantee to put your mind at ease even more.

This means that regardless of the unexpected events that always seem to happen in house sales, or even in the unexpected event that a property sale falls through, you’ll only ever have to pay for legal services once your sale has been completely finalised.

This saves a lot of stress and worry from the get-go and is something other conveyancing service providers cannot guarantee as they can at Moving Sorted.

Buying and Selling with an Online Conveyancing Solicitor

What also separates online conveyancing solicitor providers from local ones is that they often work outside office hours.

This can be a huge benefit for people who work from nine to five in a company and are available only afterwards. Traditional companies have the same working hours, so you can have a problem because you simply do not have time to visit them.

With online services, you will not have this problem as they’re available 24/7.

Their conveyancing services will be at your fingertips every day, just a phone call or email away. Nowadays, this type of communication can make life so much easier for many working people and to help them achieve their desired goal extremely fast.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the conveyancing sector has embraced home working more than ever, and therefore it’s probably the right time, more than ever before, to have an online relationship…

Because the right conveyancer to choose is the one who offers the best service for your budget, regardless of where they are based.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

To get peace of mind after you’ve made the decision to use a solicitor, the Solicitors Regulation Authority is a crucial aspect of ensuring you’ll get the best from your solicitor.

Their aim is to give the public the utmost confidence in the solicitors they use, and therefore relieve any stress going into deciding whether they’re worth the money.

Here’s what they do, in a nutshell:

Set the individual standards for what qualifies as a professional solicitor.
Consistently check the performance of individual organisations that supply legal training in England and Wales.
Draft the regulations of what constitutes professional conduct as to ensure they are always done to protect the interests of their clients with their best interests in mind.
Provide reliable guidance and clear outlines for solicitors on the more complex issues that can arrive, including ethical concerns, laws and regulations that may affect their work.
Administer the registering of all solicitors in England and Wales.
Consistently provide the public with any information about soliciting, including the work they do and the standards the public should rightly expect.
Set the specific requirements for any solicitors’ professional development over the course of their career.

Though these individual aspects of the Solicitors Regulation Authority may seem unimportant to you in your move, these standards are much more important than you think.

In fact, without these strict rules and regulations, you may have been putting your trust, and more importantly, your hard-earned money into someone’s hands without knowing they are working for your best interest.

In knowing when using a solicitor, each customer should feel comfortable in the knowledge they are receiving a guarantee of regulated quality assurance with each solicitor.

They even work with external bodies such as the Legal Services Board to make sure they achieve their own aims.

These bodies monitor their performance regularly, to make sure the public can trust their regulatory services.

In everything they do, they work closely with the public, consumer groups, solicitors and other legal professionals, and the government in England and Wales.

With online conveyancing, you may find that you are allocated to a faceless ‘team’ rather than to an individual conveyancer. However, some online firms do offer your own personal conveyancer. Online conveyancers usually provide cheaper prices, and to do this will undertake numerous transactions.

Advantages of Using An Online Conveyancing Solicitor

Using an online conveyancer will come with many benefits, from a dashboard to track your conveyancing progress to the cheaper than average local high street conveyancer’s prices – here are just a few advantages of online conveyancing:

Tracking your conveyancing progress online is easy
A more affordable process on offer, with a fee guarantee
No completion, no fee
Receive a conveyancing quote upfront
Quicker property transactions as no middle-person to deal with
Flexible 24/7 working hours.

Easy-to-Track Progress

If you opt for your conveyancing to be the hassle-free online kind, all of your conveyancing will all be carried out online.

Some online firms such as Moving Sorted will offer you ‘Case Tracking’, where you have access to your own dashboard so you can keep track of your conveyancing progress in real-time.

The online system will let you know when something has happened in relation to your case, all of which is easily stored in one place – with no complications and no fuss.

You’ll also be able to estimate your date for when the whole property process will be completed, which will make everything so much easier than trying to track down your traditional local conveyancer for updates if you’d used one instead.

Much Cheaper Prices

Come on – be honest, one of the main benefits of using an online conveyancing service is that realistically, it’s usually far cheaper than using traditional local costs – this is because going online means providers can take on a lot more cases than conventional conveyancers, which allows them to offer a cheaper quote.

No Completion, No Fee

Many online conveyancers, including Moving Sorted, offer a no sale, no fee policy, which means that if your property chain or transaction falls through for any whatever reason, then you won’t have to pay any legal fees.

However, it’s always a good idea to review the policy before continuing with any online service, as there may be some transactions where this isn’t always possible.

An Upfront Conveyancing Quote

With online conveyancing, you should receive an upfront conveyancing quote that fully details the costs for the entire online conveyancing process. Some platforms, such as Moving Sorted, offer fixed fees for conveyancing, whilst others might charge an hourly rate for the same conveyancing services.

The terms and conditions offered with your conveyancing quote should also contain details of the cost of any additional services or situations when additional fees may arise, together with their expected estimated costs.

Quick Property Transactions

Conducting the conveyancing transaction online is quicker and easier than the traditional method of attending appointments and visiting your solicitor’s office in person to go through all of the mountains of paperwork, as legal documents are sent and received instantly via email using online conveyancing specialists.

You should be able to upload and send completed documents and forms by email and make any necessary payments online, which will help with the speed of your conveyancing process, and you won’t have to be concerned about creating copies or rely on the conveyancer receiving them in physical person.

24/7 Property Services

Unlike traditional local conveyancers, some online conveyancers operate outside typical office working hours which is a huge benefit to those who work the 9-5 workday. Regional conveyancing offices are usually shut by the time you’ve finished work.

Online conveyancing contact hours tend to be more flexible, giving you more opportunity to discuss your transaction – even at the weekends, the internet is open for business!

Are Online Conveyancing Solicitors Safe?

Online conveyancers should be regulated by the CLC, SRA, LSS, LSNI or CILEx, which entirely regulates them. Many people worry that online conveyancing isn’t safe and that their bank details won’t be secure – you couldn’t be more wrong.

Because if you are using a legitimate and regulated online conveyancer such as Moving Sorted, there should have security measures in place to reduce the risk of any scammers and hackers from accessing your private details.

So, Is An Online Conveyancing Solicitor Right for Me?

Yes!

Online conveyancing is absolutely right for many people, as it can greatly benefit you if you have a busy lifestyle schedule and don’t have always have the option of visiting a conveyancer solicitors’ office when you have a query relating to the buying or selling of your property. Instead, you can track your conveyancing progress online in your own dashboard, or simply call or email your online conveyancer.

Once you’re comfortable with using the internet and the various online tools which are required for using an online conveyancer, you’ll find there’s nothing easier for making what can be a stressful time so much more smooth and more accessible!

If you are ready to get started with the online conveyancing services that Moving Sorted have to offer, complete your free online conveyancing quote here!