Our Conveyancing Services
Rhodes & Walker provide expert conveyancing across Yorkshire and the UK, guiding you through buying, selling, remortgaging, equity transfers, or new builds with clarity and ease.
Buying a Property
Buying a house can feel daunting, but our friendly and experienced team are on hand to guide you through the process. Once you have found your dream home, we will look after the legal work and make your journey as stress free as possible.
Selling Your Home
Selling your home doesn’t have to be stressful. You will need to provide a lot of information, but we’ll make the process simple by guiding you through the paperwork, step by step. Your dedicated case handler will keep things on track and make sure your sale runs smoothly.
Remortgages
Remortgage with confidence. Whether you’re looking save money on your monthly mortgage payment or release equity from your home, we can deal with the legal process for you.
Transfer of Equity
Life changes – and sometimes your property ownership needs to change with it. A Transfer of Equity is the legal process of adding or removing somebody from the title deeds of a property, without selling it. Our professional and experienced team can help you with this.
New Build Conveyancing
If our expertise has come recommended, it is because we are new build specialists. We work closely with the builder to keep things on track, giving you peace of mind that you will be moving into your new build home, without delay.
How We Work
We cut the jargon and keep you updated at every step, so you always know what’s happening.
Deadlines matter – especially with new builds. We manage key dates so you never risk losing your property.
Our established relationships with developers and estate agents make the process stress-free. We’ll handle it with confidence.
CLC-regulated with full indemnity cover, we’re known for reliability and recommendations from happy clients.
New Build Conveyancing
What to initially expect when buying a New Build Property
01. Reservation & Instruction
You pay the reservation fee, the property is taken off the market, and you instruct a solicitor/conveyancer to act for you.
02. Initial Checks & Paperwork
You complete all initial paperwork, provide ID through Thirdfort, and return the signed documents so work can begin. The seller’s solicitor then issues the draft contract pack/plan.
03. Searches & Enquiries
We apply for searches (local authority and coal). Once received, we review the contract pack and raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitor. This stage may take time depending on responses.
04. Contract & Mortgage Preparation
You receive the contract, transfer deed (if needed), and our report for signing. At the same time, your mortgage offer is issued and you must sign the mortgage deed before exchange.
05. Agreeing Dates & Exchanging Contracts
A completion date is agreed before exchange. For new builds, dates remain provisional until inspection sign-off and a 10-day notice period. When signed documents and deposit funds are ready, we proceed to exchange and the contract becomes legally binding.
05. Completion Preparation & Legal Completion
You receive your completion statement confirming the balance due and we request mortgage funds. On completion day we transfer money to the seller’s solicitor; once they confirm receipt, the keys are released. Banking times are outside our control, but we notify you as soon as completion occurs.
Please note: Land registration costs twice the price when a new build property is registered with the Land Registry for the first time, they require your solicitor to send the registration documents through by post – this work is carried out Post Completion (after you’ve moved in). This means that the online portal can’t be used and the postal charge is applied. For the buyer of a £250,000 property this means paying £270 to the Land Registry, instead of £135.
What to expect
What to initially expect when buying a New Build Property
01. Off Plan Reservation
When buying a ‘brand new’ home, you may purchase ‘off-plan’. This means you will commit to purchasing a property without having seen the finished building but relying on viewing a show home or concept model, looking at the specification and visiting the site.
02. Making an Offer
If you decide to make an offer on a new build property, you will usually have to pay a reservation/holding fee before the builder accepts the offer. This tends to be non-returnable. From this point, you will have to adhere to strict time constraints set by the developer.
03. Exchange Deadline
Once reserved, builders generally impose a 28 day period in which exchange of contracts must take place. Competition can be keen so buyers need to proceed promptly to make sure they don’t miss out. Exchange of contracts means that the property will be yours when finished but does not necessarily fix a completion date.
04. Gain Experience
Instruct a conveyancer as quickly as possible and inform the developer of your choice of firm. You’ll need a firm with experience in dealing with new build developments and the complexities of the process.
05. Completion
Completion tends to be 10 days after the house has been built and signed off. During the completion period, final inspections are made, buyers can create a snagging list, and mortgage funds are released.
Please note: Land registration costs twice the price when a new build property is registered with the Land Registry for the first time, they require your solicitor to send the registration documents through by post – this work is carried out Post Completion (after you’ve moved in). This means that the online portal can’t be used and the postal charge is applied. For the buyer of a £250,000 property this means paying £270 to the Land Registry, instead of £135.
FAQs
How long will it take?
How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move into your new house will depend on a number of factors. The government’s advice is that the average process takes 2-3 months.
Transactions can be slowed down depending on other parties in the chain whose conduct is outside of our and your control. Also, if unforeseen legal issues arise with your property this can cause a delay. For example if the lease for the property needs extending, or if an extension has been erected without planning and building regulations consents, delays of several months can arise. We will always notify you if we believe an issue has been uncovered which will cause a delay in proceedings.
The precise stages involved in a property transaction vary according to circumstances.
What can I expect to pay?
We aim to provide an accurate quote from the outset so that you know exactly how much you will have to pay. It is important that you give us as much information as possible to ensure that your quote is complete. There may be some additional fees payable, if unknown information comes to light, as the transaction progresses.
When should I apply for a mortgage?
From the outset. Once you have found your dream home, speak to your Financial Adviser to discuss your options.
When should I instruct my solicitor?
Once you have had an offer accepted on a property or when you have placed a reservation on a new build home.
What is the difference between exchange and legal completion?
Exchange of contracts is a legally binding agreement to purchase a home. Legal completion is when the transfer of monies takes place and keys can be handed over.
Have any questions?
