Do I Need a Solicitor to Sell My House? (Conveyancing Explained)

This is general information, not legal advice. Conveyancing rules and consumer protections differ across the UK. Check GOV.UK: How to sell a home and instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer for your sale. My Savvi Home is a property advertising platform. We do not provide conveyancing or legal services.

Quick answer

You can advertise and negotiate a private sale without an estate agent. You still need a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to handle the legal transfer of ownership in a normal residential sale in England and Wales. Official selling guidance treats instructing a legal representative as a core part of getting sale-ready and completing safely.

Source: GOV.UK How to sell a home.

Estate agent vs solicitor (different jobs)

Role	What they do	Required to sell?
Estate agent / advertising platform	Market the home, generate interest	No. Private sale is legal.
Solicitor or licensed conveyancer	Legal transfer, contracts, mortgage redemption, completion funds	Yes for a normal sale's legal work

My Savvi Home replaces the advertising layer with a flat monthly listing fee and zero commission. It does not replace your lawyer. Listings appear on mysavvihome.com today. Rightmove and Zoopla syndication is not currently included.

What conveyancing covers when you sell

Your legal representative typically:

• checks title and raises or answers issues early
• prepares the draft contract and supporting paperwork
• helps you complete property information forms (often TA6, and TA7 for leasehold)
• answers legal enquiries from the buyer's solicitor (boundaries, disputes, fixtures, notices, flooding history where relevant)
• deals with your mortgage lender so the charge is paid off on completion
• holds and transfers completion money safely
• handles completion day and Land Registry update steps for the transfer

GOV.UK's guide walks through paperwork, ID checks, offers, exchange, and completion: How to sell a home.

Solicitor or licensed conveyancer?

Both can handle residential conveyancing when properly authorised.

• A solicitor is a fully qualified lawyer and can also handle wider legal issues if a dispute arises.
• A licensed conveyancer specialises in property transfers.

For a straightforward freehold sale, either can be appropriate. For unusual titles, disputes, rights of way, or complex ownership, ask which practitioner fits the file. Compare quotes in writing. Check regulation (for example the Solicitors Regulation Authority for solicitors in England and Wales, or the relevant conveyancer regulator).

DIY conveyancing: possible, rarely wise

GOV.UK notes you can do some legal work yourself, but mistakes can be costly and you could face claims if information is inaccurate. Most private sellers still instruct a professional because mortgage lenders, buyer solicitors, and completion logistics expect a regulated firm on the other side.

If someone offers “we handle everything including legal” as a marketing package, read the small print. Advertising and conveyancing are separate regulated activities.

Rough costs (always get a quote)

Conveyancing fees vary by property value, tenure (freehold vs leasehold), whether there is a mortgage, and location. Expect hundreds to low thousands of pounds plus disbursements (searches on the buyer's side, Land Registry fees, bank transfer fees). Treat any blog “average” as outdated the day it is published. Ask for a fixed-fee quote and a clear list of extras.

Paying a conveyancer is separate from:

• My Savvi Home's monthly listing fee
• any estate agent commission you would have paid on a high-street instruction

When to instruct them

Instruct your solicitor or conveyancer when you decide to sell, not only after an offer. Early instruction lets them order title documents and prepare the pack so you lose fewer weeks once a buyer is ready.

GOV.UK also stresses gathering paperwork early (EPC, guarantees, planning consents, ID) so the legal file does not stall viewings that turn into offers.

Offers, exchange, and when you are bound

In England and Wales, accepting an offer is usually subject to contract. You are not legally bound until exchange of contracts. After exchange, walking away without a lawful basis can mean serious financial consequences. Completion is when money and keys move and ownership transfers.

Private sellers sometimes feel pressure to “hold” for a buyer without lawyers involved. Do not treat a handshake as exchange. Put serious interest through solicitors.

Fraud and money safety

Selling involves large bank transfers. Protect yourself:

• deal only with a firm you instructed and verified
• confirm bank details using a known phone number, not a surprise email alone
• never send completion-scale money to a new account without secondary checks
• limit how much personal data you publish on public listing sites

Your conveyancer's client account processes completion funds for a reason. Follow their anti-fraud instructions.

Leasehold and shared ownership extras

Leasehold sales often need a management pack, landlord or managing agent questionnaires, and clearer ground rent / service charge history. Shared ownership and Help to Buy style products add lender or housing association steps. Budget time and pack fees. Tell your solicitor about the tenure on day one.

How this fits a My Savvi Home sale

Typical private-sale path:

1. Confirm a valid EPC before marketing.
2. List on My Savvi Home and prepare photos and price.
3. Instruct your solicitor or conveyancer in parallel.
4. Handle viewings and offers yourself.
5. Accept an offer subject to contract, then let the lawyers run enquiries, exchange, and completion.
6. Keep the listing truthful until you are ready to mark it sold or take it down.

Official process overview: How to sell a home. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different norms. Use local professional advice.

FAQ

Can I sell without a solicitor if the buyer is a cash purchaser?

Cash does not remove the need for a proper legal transfer and safe completion. Both sides still normally use conveyancers.

Can My Savvi Home recommend a solicitor?

We are an advertising platform. Choose and instruct your own regulated firm. Compare fees and reviews yourself.

When should the listing come down?

Coordinate with your solicitor. Many sellers leave marketing live until exchange, then update status. Follow what your contract and platform rules allow.

What to ask when you compare conveyancing quotes

Ask each firm in writing:

• is the fee fixed for a standard freehold sale, and what triggers extras?
• who is your day-to-day contact, and how do they handle enquiries?
• how quickly can they start title checks before you have a buyer?
• what ID and proof of address do they need in week one?
• how do they verify bank details to reduce fraud risk?

Cheap quotes that exclude leasehold packs, telegraphic transfer fees, or complex title work become expensive mid-file. For a private sale, speed of communication matters because you do not have an agent chasing both sides.

If a buyer pushes you to use “their” solicitor on both sides, take independent advice. Dual representation rules are strict for a reason.

Bottom line

Skipping an estate agent does not skip the law. You need a qualified conveyancing professional for the transfer. An advertising platform helps buyers find you. Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer gets you to completion safely.

Not legal advice. Instruct a regulated professional for your circumstances.