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FAQs

Your Complete Guide to Conveyancing in Kent

Buying or selling a home in Kent can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re dealing with the legal process for the first time. Conveyancing is full of unfamiliar steps, documents, fees, timelines, and industry jargon. This comprehensive FAQ guide has been created to give you clear, straightforward answers to the most common questions people ask when moving home in Kent.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, selling your property, or simply comparing conveyancing solicitors in Kent, this guide explains everything you need to know in plain English, all in one place. Our goal is to help you feel informed, confident, and supported throughout the entire process.

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one person to another. It covers everything from preparing contracts, conducting searches, checking legal documents, handling mortgage requirements, and ensuring the transaction completes safely and legally.

A conveyancing solicitor ensures that the property you’re buying or selling is legally sound. They investigate ownership, boundaries, restrictions, planning issues, charges, debts, and risks. Without a solicitor, you could unknowingly take on legal liabilities, unsafe property conditions, or financial risks that only come to light after completion.

Most conveyancing transactions in Kent take 8–14 weeks from offer to completion.
However, timings vary depending on:

  • Whether you are in a chain
  • Leasehold vs. freehold
  • Mortgage delays
  • Local authority search turnaround times
  • Enquiries raised during the process

Your solicitor will keep you updated throughout.

Searches commonly include:

  • Local Authority Search (planning, building regs, road schemes)
  • Drainage & Water Search
  • Environmental Search
  • Flood risk
  • Chancel repair liability

Additional searches may be needed depending on the property location.

Local authority search fees vary by council, but in Kent they typically range from £120 to £350 depending on the district. Canterbury, Ashford, and Tunbridge Wells often have different pricing. Your conveyancer will confirm exact fees at the outset.

No, searches are not legally required for cash buyers—but they are strongly recommended. Searches reveal issues such as flood zones, planning restrictions, road schemes, or drainage problems that could impact your investment or future resale value.

Both can handle your property transaction, but:

  • Solicitors are legally qualified and regulated, and can deal with complex matters, disputes, and legal issues.
  • Licensed conveyancers specialise solely in property law.

Most buyers prefer a conveyancing solicitor for additional legal protection and expertise.

Exchange of contracts is the point where the transaction becomes legally binding. A completion date is set, deposits are paid, and neither party can back out without severe financial penalties.

On completion:

  • Your solicitor sends payment to the seller’s solicitor
  • The seller releases the keys
  • You get legal ownership
  • Estate agents hand over the keys
  • Your solicitor registers your ownership with HM Land Registry

Completion normally takes place between 1pm–4pm.

SDLT is a tax paid to HMRC when buying a property over a certain threshold. The amount you pay depends on:

  • Property price
  • Whether you’re a first-time buyer
  • Whether it’s an additional property
  • Current government reliefs

Your solicitor will calculate and file SDLT for you.

You’ll typically need:

  • Photo ID
  • Proof of address
  • Mortgage offer (buyers)
  • Current government reliefs
  • TA6 / TA7 property information forms (sellers)
  • EPC certificate
  • Management pack (leasehold)

Your solicitor will guide you.

A leasehold property means you own the property for a set period (the lease), but not the land it sits on. You may need to pay service charges, ground rent, and follow conditions set by the freeholder.

Freehold property means you own the building and the land outright, giving you full control with no lease restrictions.

Ideally, a lease should have 90+ years remaining.
Leases under 80 years become more expensive to extend and may affect mortgage approval and resale value.

Yes. Speeding up your transaction is possible by:

  • Completing forms immediately
  • Providing ID promptly
  • Responding quickly to enquiries
  • Ensuring mortgage documents are ready
  • Asking the estate agent to keep the chain moving

A proactive solicitor also makes a huge difference.

Disbursements are third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf, such as:

  • Searches
  • Land Registry fees
  • Bank transfer fees
  • ID checks

Solicitors do not keep these fees—they simply pass them on.

Most solicitors request payment upfront for:

  • Search fees
  • ID checks
  • Onboarding costs

Legal fees are usually paid at completion.

A chain is a group of linked property transactions.
Everyone completes on the same day.
Delays in any part of the chain can delay the entire process.

You may:

  • Renegotiate the price
  • Request repairs
  • Ask for a retention
  • Pull out of the sale

Your solicitor will advise you based on the severity of the issue.

This means you don’t pay the solicitor’s legal fees if the transaction falls through.
You still pay for disbursements (searches, ID checks), but the legal work is not charged.

You should instruct a solicitor as soon as your offer is accepted (buyers)
or as soon as you list your property for sale (sellers).

Early instruction prevents delays.

You can, but local solicitors understand:

  • Kent local authority search systems
  • Kent planning regulations
  • Local property risks (flood zones, coastal areas, clay soil)
  • Local estate agents and surveyors

Local expertise often speeds up the process.

Yes—buyers and sellers must have separate legal representation to protect each side’s interests.

Yes, you can switch, although it may cause some delay. Your new solicitor will request papers from your previous one and continue the process.

HM Land Registry records legal ownership of property in England and Wales.
After completion, your solicitor registers you as the new owner, which protects your title and prevents fraud.

Conclusion: Your Kent Conveyancing Questions Answered

We hope these FAQs have helped you understand the conveyancing process more clearly. Whether you’re buying, selling, or simply comparing conveyancing solicitors in Kent, having the right information is essential. If you need more guidance, personalised advice, or a transparent quote, don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’re here to help make your move smooth, stress-free, and fully protected from start to finish.

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