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Our Services

Conveyancing Solicitors in South West Wales

Buying or selling your home is probably one of the most exciting yet daunting things you will ever do. Therefore, it pays to have a conveyancing solicitor who understands your needs.

At Hains & Lewis, our goal is to make your conveyancing journey as straightforward and stress-free as possible. We professionally handle dozens of conveyancing matters every month and our solicitors are members of the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Accreditation Scheme with many years’ experience successfully managing conveyancing on behalf of clients.

We understand that costs will be at the forefront of your mind so we are happy to offer fixed fee conveyancing to the vast majority of our clients. From the outset of your instruction, we will talk through costs with you for full transparency and to make sure you are happy.

How our conveyancing solicitors in South West Wales can help you

Our skilled conveyancing lawyers can handle every aspect of your home sale or purchase on your behalf, including:

  • Reviewing the title to the property and the lease (if a leasehold property)
  • Undertaking relevant searches
  • Drafting and reviewing the sale and purchase contract and all other legal documentation
  • Liaising with relevant parties, including mortgage providers, estate agents, the other side’s solicitors, and surveyors
  • Ensuring the conveyance is conducted efficiently, cost-effectively, and accurately, avoiding any future issues and aiming to bring the process to completion within a reasonable timeframe

The conveyancing process can be fairly complicated, but with our assistance and professional support, you will be packing your bags in no time. Below, we have set out the basic conveyancing process for both buying and selling a house.

Conveyancing process – buying a house

  • Once you have found the house you want, you will need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor to start the purchasing process.
  • We will obtain relevant documents from the seller, including the draft contract, information about the title to the property, and a copy of the lease if the property is leasehold. One important point is the length of the lease; if it is less than 80 years, you could encounter issues.
  • We will undertake necessary property searches, including:
    • Land Registry searches
    • Local authority searches
    • Environmental searches
  • You will need to sort out your mortgage (if you need one). Your mortgage provider will conduct a valuation survey to check the house is suitable and that you are paying a fair price.
  • You may choose to conduct your own surveys which are more in-depth than the mortgage valuation. You can usually upgrade your mortgage valuation or get an independent survey. If you are purchasing an old property or one which needs a lot of work, it is advisable to consider getting a more in-depth survey.
  • You will need to get buildings insurance in order for your mortgage provider to finance your purchase. You may also want to consider getting other kinds of insurance, including life insurance, mortgage protection insurance, and/or critical illness cover.
  • Assuming the results of your checks and surveys are acceptable, you will now be ready to exchange contracts and pay the deposit. Once contracts are exchanged, you will be legally obligated to go through with the purchase. If you back out, you will lose your deposit and may become liable for other penalties.
  • Between exchange and completion, we will register your legal interest in the property at the Land Registry and you should start making preparations to move.
  • On completion day, we will ensure the remainder of the purchase price is transferred to the seller and obtain the keys for you to collect.
  • We will also arrange the payment of Land Transaction Tax (Stamp Duty if the property is in England), complete the final legal documentation, and register your ownership with the Land Registry.

Conveyancing process – selling a house

  • Once you have received and accepted an offer on your house, you will need to instruct a solicitor to handle the conveyancing process on your behalf.
  • We will help you complete various forms and questionnaires about the property, including:
    • General questionnaire on matters such as boundaries, disputes, planning, and alterations
    • Details of fixtures and fittings included with the property
    • Practical details about when and how you would like to complete
  • We will draw up a draft conveyancing contract based on your questionnaires for the buyer’s solicitor to review.
  • If you have a mortgage, you will need to request a “redemption figure” – the amount which still needs to be repaid.
  • Once the buyer is satisfied with their checks, searches, and the draft contract, we will be ready to exchange. Once contracts are exchanged and the deposit paid, you will be legally bound to go through with the sale. If you pull out at this stage, the buyer could sue you.
  • Between exchange and completion, you should make preparations to move out and check all the fixtures and fittings included with the sale are left behind
  • On completion day, you will officially leave the property (if you haven’t already), hand over your keys, your mortgage will be paid off, and the remaining sale monies will be transferred to you.

Get in touch with our conveyancing solicitors in South Wales

To get your sale or purchase started, give our specialist conveyancing solicitors in South West Wales a call at one of our local branches in CarmarthenHaverfordwest, or Narberth. You can also contact us online by filling in our enquiry form

Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation