Home Mover's Guide to Choosing a Conveyancer
By Homey
•
25 Sept 2025
Moving home is a unique challenge; you're not just a buyer or a seller, you're both at the same time. This puts you in the middle of a delicate balancing act where timing, communication, and coordination are everything. Your most important ally in this process isn't your estate agent or your mortgage broker—it's your conveyancer. Think of them as the project manager for your entire move. Choosing the right one is the single most important decision you'll make for a smooth, successful, and stress-free transaction.
I. The Mover’s Foundation: Why Your Conveyancer is a Project Manager
A. The Dual Role: Juggling a Sale and a Purchase
As a home mover, you are simultaneously navigating the legal requirements of selling your current property while undertaking the due diligence of buying a new one. Your conveyancer’s critical role is to manage these two parallel legal processes, ensuring they move in lockstep towards a single, coordinated completion day.
B. One Firm or Two? The Pros and Cons
The answer is to almost always use one conveyancing firm for both your sale and purchase. The benefits are overwhelming:
Streamlined Communication: You have a single point of contact who has a complete overview of your entire situation.
Potential Cost Savings: Many firms offer a discount on their legal fees for handling linked transactions.
Perfect Coordination: A single conveyancer can effortlessly manage the flow of funds from your sale to your purchase and ensure dates are perfectly aligned.
The only rare scenario where using two firms might be considered is if your purchase is highly specialised (e.g., a complex new build or a property with significant legal defects) and requires a niche expert who doesn't handle standard sales. For 99% of movers, one firm is the best choice.
C. Key Qualities of a Mover’s Conveyancer
Not all conveyancers are created equal, especially when it comes to managing a move. You need a professional with:
Experience in managing property chains.
Proactive communication skills to keep you, the agents, and the rest of the chain informed.
Meticulous attention to detail for coordinating the linked transactions.
II. Strategic Timing: When and How to Get Started
A. When to Instruct Your Conveyancer
The best time to instruct your conveyancer is as soon as you put your property on the market. Do not wait until you have an offer. By appointing them early, you allow them to complete all the preparatory work for your sale. This means the moment you accept an offer on your property and find a new one to buy, you are immediately "purchase-ready" and can proceed without delay. This proactive approach makes you a much more attractive buyer.
B. Preparing for a Smooth Process
For Your Sale: Your conveyancer will send you the initial property information forms (TA6 and TA10) to complete. Do these straight away. This, along with the draft contract, forms the legal pack that can be sent to your buyer's solicitor instantly.
For Your Purchase: Ensure you have a mortgage in principle (MIP) ready and have organised the initial funds you'll need for search fees and other upfront costs.
III. Finding an Expert in Property Chains
A. Where to Look for the Right Conveyancer
Recommendations: The best advice comes from friends or family who have recently moved house themselves. Ask them specifically about how their conveyancer handled the chain.
Independent Research: While estate agents will recommend firms, their priority might be speed over service quality. Always do your own research, read reviews, and get multiple quotes.
B. Local vs. Online: What's Best for a Linked Transaction?
Both models can work well. The key is not whether they are local or online, but their expertise in managing chains. An efficient, communicative online firm with a dedicated case handler is often better than a disorganised local office.
C. Vetting for Chain Management Skills
First, check that the firm is accredited under the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), which is a baseline indicator of quality. More importantly, when reading online reviews, actively search for comments from other home movers. Look for keywords like "chain," "linked transaction," "communication," and "coordinated completion" to see how they perform under the pressure of a move.
IV. The Mover’s Checklist: Essential Questions to Ask
When you get a quote, don't just look at the price. Call the firm and ask these crucial questions:
A. Questions about Experience and Process
How do you manage and maintain communication within a property chain?
Will I have a single, dedicated point of contact for both my sale and purchase?
What is your specific process for synchronising exchange and completion dates?
What is your average timescale for a transaction like mine?
B. Understanding the Combined Costs
Ask for a clear, itemised quote covering both the sale and the purchase.
Check if there is a discount on the legal fee for the linked transaction.
Clarify all the disbursements (third-party costs). For your sale, this will be minimal (e.g., Land Registry title copies). For your purchase, this will be more substantial, including property searches and Land Registry registration fees.
V. Managing the Move: Key Stages and Hurdles
A. The Financial Coordination
This is where having one conveyancer is vital. They will:
Request a mortgage redemption statement for your current mortgage.
Liaise with your lender to ensure the mortgage funds for your new home are ready.
On completion day, receive the funds from your buyer, pay off your old mortgage, take their own fees, and then use the remaining equity as the deposit for your new purchase, seamlessly transferring all funds.
B. The Art of Synchronising Dates
"Exchanging contracts" is the point of no return. For a mover, this must happen simultaneously for both your sale and purchase. Your conveyancer's job is to negotiate with all other parties in the chain to agree on a single completion day that works for everyone, ensuring no one is left homeless or owning two properties.
C. Troubleshooting Common Mover Issues
Delays in the Chain: A proactive conveyancer will constantly chase other parties in the chain for updates and apply pressure where needed to keep things moving.
Risk of the Chain Breaking: If someone pulls out, your conveyancer will advise you on the legal and financial implications and help you decide on the best course of action, whether it's finding a new buyer quickly or attempting to renegotiate dates.
VI. How Homey Can Help You
At Homey, we understand that the conveyancing process can be daunting. That's why we've leveraged technology to make it as smooth and stress-free as possible. Our platform allows you to manage your entire conveyancing journey digitally, from start to finish.
We offer:
Free Consultation: We provide a complimentary consultation where our experts help you understand the conveyancing process, identify your specific needs, and assist you in finding and choosing the right conveyancer for your property type and situation.
Digital Workflow: Our intuitive online portal allows for secure document exchange, real-time updates, and easy communication with your chosen conveyancer, all from the comfort of your home.
Expert Guidance: Beyond just connecting you with a conveyancer, Homey acts as your advocate, guiding you through each step of the process and representing your interests to ensure a transparent and efficient transaction. We're here to answer your questions, clarify complex legal jargon, and keep your purchase on track.
Streamlined Communication: Say goodbye to endless phone tag and email chains. Our platform centralises all communication, making it easy to stay informed and address any queries promptly.
With Homey, you're not just getting a digital service; you're gaining a partner dedicated to making your homeownership dream a reality with confidence and ease.
