Plain-English guides to buying, selling and remortgaging in England and Wales — what it costs, what searches are, how stamp duty works, and what happens between offer and keys. General information only. Panel solicitors regulated by the SRA do the legal work.
Ethical Conveyancing (TG Legal Services) is an introducer, not a regulated law firm. Fixed legal fees from £400 on a sale or purchase, from £230 on a remortgage; the figure for your file comes from the quote.
Legal fees, disbursements, VAT and extras — and how to compare a fixed-fee quote with a headline price. Market figures labelled as third-party; your number comes from the quote.
What happens from instruction to keys, in order, without the jargon — and where searches, exchange and completion sit.
8–12 weeks is possible on some chain-free freeholds. Rightmove’s July 2026 GB average is 154 days from sale agreed to completion — third-party, not a promise.
Residential bands from 1 April 2025, first-time buyer relief, the extra 5% on additional dwellings, and how Wales and Scotland differ.
From AIP to keys, with 2026 SDLT figures, a conveyancing budget line, gifted deposits and surveys vs valuations.
A guide to the core pack, typical search costs, cash buyers, and what you still pay if a purchase falls through.
Ownership, ongoing costs, short leases, estate charges on some new-build freeholds, and what leasehold reform has actually commenced.
Management packs, notices, deeds of covenant and other extras that sit on top of a standard conveyancing quote.
When a sale becomes binding, the typical deposit and insurance point, the gap before keys, and how Scotland differs.
Product transfer vs a new lender, what “free legal work” usually includes, legal fees from £230, Ethical’s ~3 week average this year (not a promise), and leasehold extras.
A neutral SRA vs CLC comparison — then how Ethical’s solicitor panel and itemised fixed fees work.
Adding or removing a name on the title. Assuming a mortgage can be SDLT consideration — the £125k nil-rate applies from 1 April 2025.
Off-plan vs a completed plot, searches, warranties and estate charges. Lenders usually still want a search pack.
On a traditional auction the hammer is typically exchange, with completion often around 28 days. Review the legal pack before you bid.
What the search is, when solicitors often order it, typical market cost, and how results are reported. Related to the searches guide, not a duplicate.
Fixed legal fees from £400 on a sale or purchase, from £230 on a remortgage. The quote engine is the figure for your file.
