The title explains what you are buying
The conveyancer checks the registered title or other ownership papers, the plan, rights benefiting the property and restrictions that bind it. They look for mortgages to be removed and confirm that the seller can transfer the interest being sold.
Title plans usually show general boundaries rather than every centimetre on the ground. Compare the plan with what you saw. Mention a shared drive, parking space, side gate or strip of garden that matters to you so the legal right can be checked.
Ask how long local searches are currently taking before agreeing an ambitious timetable. Personal or regulated search products may be offered in some transactions. Your conveyancer should explain what is being ordered and whether the lender accepts it.
Searches answer questions away from the front door
A local authority search can reveal planning records, building-control matters, road schemes and charges relating to the property. Drainage and water searches address connections and public sewers. Environmental information may cover flooding, contaminated land and other mapped risks.
The package depends on the property and location. Mining, chancel, commons or other specialist searches may be considered. Ask what has been ordered and why. Search insurance is not the same as receiving and reviewing the underlying result.
Enquiries fill gaps in the seller’s papers
The seller completes property information and fixtures forms. Your conveyancer compares the answers with the title, searches and documents, then raises questions. Common subjects include alterations, boundaries, disputes, guarantees, services and completion arrangements.
Some enquiries produce documents; others produce only the seller's reply. Decide with your adviser whether that is enough. A vague statement that an extension was present when the seller arrived does not create missing planning or building-control evidence.
Search results do not inspect the house. A drainage search can show mapped public pipes without proving the private drain is sound. A planning entry can record approval without confirming that work was built correctly. Keep legal records and physical condition as connected but separate questions.
Leasehold work needs more information
For a flat or leasehold house, the conveyancer reviews the lease, service-charge accounts, insurance, management information, planned works and restrictions. They also check the remaining term and the provisions for charges. This can take time because a managing agent or freeholder must often supply a pack.
Read the restrictions that affect ordinary life: pets, subletting, flooring, alterations and parking. Ask about current disputes and large works. A low current service charge does not prove that the roof or lift has enough money set aside.
You will be asked where the money came from
Solicitors must check identity and source of funds. Expect questions about savings, gifts, investments, inheritances or money arriving from abroad. Supply a clear paper trail and tell the conveyancer early if another person is contributing.
The lender may have separate requirements for gifted deposits and occupiers. Do not move money through several accounts just before completion without keeping records. Never rely solely on emailed bank details; confirm payment instructions using a trusted method.
If you are buying with someone else, take advice on how ownership will be recorded and what should happen to the equity if circumstances change. This is easier to agree while relations are good and before the purchase money is committed.
Read the report before signing
Your conveyancer should report on the contract, title, searches, mortgage and important replies before exchange. Read it alongside the plan and fixtures list. If a point is wrong or surprising, ask before signing instead of assuming it must be routine.
The legal work cannot guarantee that the house is physically sound. Join it up with your viewing, survey, insurance and mortgage information. Exchange only when the advisers have answered their parts and you are satisfied with what remains.
Ask for a plain explanation when legal language is unfamiliar. The consequences belong to you. Ask the adviser to connect each important legal point to the property and decision it affects. If an answer arrives by telephone, make a note and confirm any decision that relies on it in writing.