When you sell, your conveyancer works mainly to prove your title and answer the buyer's questions, rather than to investigate someone else's property. The legal side runs alongside the buyer's checks, and both sides agree a contract before anyone is committed. Here is how it works from instruction through to completion, and what you can do to keep things moving.
1 What the seller's conveyancer actually does
As the seller, your conveyancer's main job is to prove you own the property and have the right to sell it, then draft a contract the buyer's side can accept. A buyer's conveyancer spends time on searches and the lender's requirements. Your side spends time gathering documents, answering questions and getting the paperwork in order.
In practice that means pulling your title from HM Land Registry, putting together the contract pack, helping you complete the standard property forms, and replying to enquiries raised by the buyer's conveyancer. If you have a mortgage, your conveyancer also redeems it on the day you complete. For a fuller picture of the role, see what a conveyancer is and what conveyancing involves.
2 The seller's process, step by step
Choose your solicitor or licensed conveyancer early, ideally before or as soon as you accept an offer. You will complete their client care paperwork and identity checks. Comparing fixed-fee quotes first means you know the cost up front.
Your conveyancer downloads the official copies of your title (the register and title plan) from HM Land Registry to confirm you are the registered owner and to spot anything that needs explaining, such as restrictions, rights of way or covenants.
They draft the contract and send it to the buyer's conveyancer with the title documents and your completed property forms. This pack is the starting point for the whole transaction.
You fill in the TA6 Property Information Form and the TA10 Fittings and Contents Form. For a leasehold property you also complete the TA7, and your conveyancer requests a management pack from the freeholder or managing agent.
The buyer's conveyancer reads everything and raises enquiries (questions). You and your conveyancer reply, sometimes more than once. This stage is usually where time is won or lost.
Once enquiries are settled and the buyer's mortgage is in place, both sides agree a completion date. You sign the contract and the transfer deed (the TR1).
The conveyancers exchange signed contracts. The sale now becomes legally binding and the date for moving out is fixed. See exchange and completion explained.
On completion day the buyer's money arrives, you hand over the keys, and your conveyancer uses the proceeds to pay off your mortgage, settle the estate agent and their own fee, then sends you the balance.
3 The forms you fill in (and why they matter)
The standard forms are how you tell the buyer about the property in writing, and your answers carry legal weight. Getting them right protects you later, because a buyer who relies on a wrong answer may have a claim against you.
- TA6 Property Information Form. Covers boundaries, disputes with neighbours, alterations and building work, guarantees, planning, services and anything else a buyer should know. Answer fully and honestly.
- TA10 Fittings and Contents Form. Sets out what is included in the sale and what you are taking with you, from light fittings to the shed. It heads off arguments on moving day.
- TA7 Leasehold Information Form. For leasehold homes, this covers the lease, service charges, ground rent and the managing agent.
- Management pack. Also for leasehold, this comes from the freeholder or managing agent and sets out charges, accounts and consents. It can take weeks to arrive, so order it early.
Be careful what you declare. You have a legal duty to answer honestly, and there are things you must tell a buyer. Read what you must disclose when selling before you fill these in. If you are unsure whether something counts, raise it rather than leave it out.
If you knowingly give a false answer on the TA6, a buyer who relies on it can come after you even after completion. When in doubt, disclose it and let your conveyancer phrase it.
4 Why leasehold sales take longer
Selling a flat or a leasehold house usually runs longer than a freehold sale, mainly because of the management pack. Your conveyancer has to request it from the freeholder or managing agent, who often charge a fee and can take several weeks to respond. Nothing the buyer's side does will speed that up.
The buyer's conveyancer will also raise more enquiries on a leasehold property, about the length of the lease, ground rent, service charges and any major works planned. Ordering your management pack the moment you accept an offer is the single best thing you can do to avoid a stall. If you are not sure of the difference, see leasehold and freehold explained.
5 Costs, timing and how to keep things moving
A typical freehold sale and purchase takes around 8 to 12 weeks from accepted offer to completion, though a long chain or a leasehold property can push that out. Selling is usually a bit cheaper legally than buying, because there is no Stamp Duty to deal with and fewer searches to order on your side.
Your conveyancer's fee is normally a fixed amount plus a few disbursements, such as the cost of the official copies from HM Land Registry and, for leasehold, the freeholder's management pack fee. These figures change, so get a quote or check current rates rather than rely on a set number. Our disbursements guide explains the extras.
- Instruct your conveyancer and complete their ID checks straight away, even before you have a buyer.
- Dig out your paperwork early: guarantees, planning and building control certificates, FENSA or similar certificates for windows, and any approvals for alterations.
- Fill in the TA6 and TA10 promptly and carefully, and order the leasehold management pack on day one if it applies.
- Reply to enquiries quickly and chase your conveyancer for updates rather than waiting.
- Keep your estate agent and the rest of the chain informed so a slow link does not derail everyone.
You can complete the TA6 and TA10 and gather your certificates before you even accept an offer. A buyer-ready pack on day one can shave weeks off the process.
For more on timing and chains, see how long conveyancing takes and how to speed up your conveyancing. Scotland and Northern Ireland run different systems, so this guidance is for England and Wales. It is general information rather than legal advice.