Buying or selling a home is one of the largest financial decisions most people ever make, and it tends to arrive alongside a great deal else: a job change, a growing family, a downsize, the end of a relationship. The legal side, the conveyancing, is the part that quietly determines whether the whole move feels smooth or stressful. Done well, it happens in the background. Done badly, it becomes the thing that keeps you awake.
At Beeston Shenton, our residential property team in Newcastle-under-Lyme handles conveyancing for clients across predominantly Staffordshire and Cheshire, but can handle your move anywhere in England and Wales. Our aim is straightforward: to move your transaction along quickly and efficiently, keep you informed, and remove as much of the uncertainty as possible. This article walks through the property work we handle. If any of it fits your situation, our contact details are at the foot of the page.
How Long Does Conveyancing Take?
As a guide, a standard conveyancing transaction takes somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks. A number of outside factors can affect that, including whether the property is leasehold, how quickly we receive full instructions and the initial payment, how promptly third parties provide information, and whether you are part of a chain. We progress every matter as efficiently as we can, and if the timescale looks like changing we will give you a revised estimate rather than leave you guessing.
Sales of Freehold and Leasehold Properties
When you are selling, our team handles the legal paperwork, responds to the buyer’s enquiries, and manages communication with third parties such as management companies and mortgage lenders. We prepare the contract pack, help gather the documents your buyer’s solicitor will ask for, and handle the exchange of contracts once both sides are ready. On completion day we make sure funds are distributed correctly and any outstanding mortgage is repaid. We act on both freehold and leasehold sales.
Purchases of Freehold and Leasehold Properties
On a purchase, we review the contract documents, carry out the searches, raise enquiries and advise you throughout. We verify funding, liaise with your lender, and once contracts are exchanged and completion funds are in place, we transfer payment and finalise the purchase. We then register the property in your name with HM Land Registry and submit your Stamp Duty Land Tax return, so the legal loose ends are tied off rather than left for later.
Remortgaging Your Home
If you are remortgaging, we receive a copy of the mortgage offer from your chosen lender and advise you on its conditions. We obtain settlement figures for any existing mortgage or charges, and once you are satisfied and the lender’s conditions are met, we request the new advance, settle the old borrowing where applicable, and register the new charge at HM Land Registry.
Transfers of Equity and Company Purchases
Property does not only change hands through ordinary sales and purchases. You may want to gift a property, add a partner to the title deeds, or transfer equity as part of a separation. These transfers can be more complex than they first appear, and our team can guide you through them. We also act for companies buying or selling residential property in the company name, carrying out the additional company checks and registering any charges with Companies House where required.
New Build, Shared Ownership and Help to Buy
We have worked alongside a number of developers across Staffordshire and Cheshire, so we understand the reservation periods and exchange deadlines that come with new build purchases and can keep your transaction on schedule. We also assist with shared ownership purchases and sales, including staircasing, and with Help to Buy redemptions, liaising with the relevant authority to discharge any outstanding amount when you repay or remortgage.
Probate Sales and Assents
If you are an executor selling a property from an estate, or you are receiving an interest in a property left to you by someone who has died, we can handle the transfer and make sure the correct authority is in place. We treat this work with the sensitivity it calls for, recognising that it usually sits alongside a recent loss.
Get an Instant Conveyancing Quote
Before you commit to anything, you can get an instant, no obligation quote for your transaction, whether you are buying, selling or transferring ownership. It is a quick way to understand the likely cost up front, with no surprises later. You can request one through our conveyancing quote page.
Why Clients Choose Our Property Team
Conveyancing is often judged on two things: how well you are kept informed, and how few nasty surprises arrive along the way. Our clients tend to comment on exactly that. One, buying a buy to let property, described knowledgeable, professional service and being kept up to date throughout the process. Another, handling a linked sale and purchase, praised clear communication, competitive fees and a positive outcome, adding that nothing was too much trouble. A move runs smoothly when someone is steering the legal side properly, and that is the job we set out to do.
Talk to a Conveyancing Solicitor in Newcastle-under-Lyme
Whether you are buying your first home, moving up, downsizing, remortgaging or dealing with a more unusual transfer, our property team would be glad to help.
Our head office is at 64 King Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme. We act for clients across Staffordshire and Cheshire.
- Newcastle-under-Lyme: 01782 662424
- Stafford: 01785 332999
- Knutsford: 01565 754444
- Email: info@beestonshenton.co.uk
You can also see the full overview of our work on our Residential Property page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does conveyancing usually take?
As a guide, a standard transaction takes between 8 and 12 weeks. Leasehold properties, chains, and delays from third parties can extend this. We give you a revised estimate if the timescale changes.
Can I get a conveyancing quote before instructing you?
Yes. You can request an instant, no obligation quote for your sale, purchase or transfer through our conveyancing quote page on our website.
Do you handle leasehold as well as freehold properties?
Yes. Our team acts on both freehold and leasehold sales and purchases.
Can you act when buying in a company name?
Yes. We act for companies buying, selling and/or remortgaging residential property, carrying out the additional company checks and registering any charges with Companies House where required.
Do you deal with new build purchases?
Yes. We have worked with a number of developers across Staffordshire and Cheshire and are familiar with new build reservation periods and exchange deadlines.
This article is intended as general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Each transaction turns on its own facts and you should always seek tailored advice from a qualified solicitor before acting on anything you read here. Beeston Shenton Solicitors Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA Number: 420578).
