Conveyancing in Folkestone
Conveyancing is the legal work that ensures property is transferred from a seller to a buyer. If you need a solicitor for conveyancing in Folkestone, we can help you with fast & proactive conveyancing from a national panel of conveyancing specialists.
We have helped Folkestone and Shepway clients with buying, selling, buy-to-let, Help to Buy, Right to Buy, shared ownership, new build, leasehold, lease extensions, remortgage and transfer of equity.
Other areas covered: Ashford Surrey, Canterbury, Dover and Medway
Buying property in Folkestone
A port town in Kent, Folkestone is known for its Creative Quarter, the Leas promenade, and the nearby North Downs. Popular residential areas include Sandgate and Hythe. Folkestone has two railway stations, providing links to London and Dover. Folkestone has a population of approximately 50,000.
Council Tax in Folkestone (2023/24)
Folkestone is in Shepway District Council.
| Band | Amount |
|---|---|
| A | £1,481.41 |
| B | £1,728.31 |
| C | £1,975.22 |
| D | £2,222.12 |
| E | £2,715.92 |
| F | £3,209.73 |
| G | £3,703.53 |
| H | £4,444.24 |
What does a conveyancing solicitor do?
A conveyancer or solicitor plays an essential role during a property purchase, and assists you with the legal aspect of transferring ownership from the seller to the buyer.
Your solicitor will order searches, raise enquires of the seller, review the contract of sale and ensure that post-purchase requirements, like registering the property ownership with the Land Registry and paying SDLT, are completed.
In addition to standard searches, Folkestone conveyancing solicitors may undertake chalk mining searches.
Are you buying with a mortgage?
When you purchase a property, your solicitor must also handle some legal work for the mortgage lender. If your property lawyer is not on your bank or building society's panel, your purchase could take significantly longer to complete and cost you more in the process.
Over 100 banks and specialist lenders have approved our chosen panel lawyers, so we can help you complete your Folkestone transaction smoothly.
Read more:
Conveyancing for buying a property
Find out if our panel solicitors can act for your mortgage lender
Approved by over 100 more
New Build
The conveyancing process for acquiring a new build in Folkestone is more complicated than buying an existing property.
Your solicitor in Folkestone will need to be qualified to handle things like checking the suitability of new build insurance, checking planning conditions have been fulfilled and working with warranty providers, including NHBC, Advantage HCI and Ark Residential.
Read more:
4.8 out of 5
When we factored in eveything that was included - this was the best quote we could find
Selling a property in Folkestone
When selling property in Folkestone, your lawyer will assemble all essential documents, including the contract of sale and ID forms, and help you fill out this paperwork.
The solicitor's duties entail addressing snags like lack of conservation area consent, answering the buyer's solicitor's questions and taking charge of the mortgage redemption.
The solicitor will also work with both sides, including agents, managing agents and lenders, to make sure your sale of your property is completed without incident.Does it take longer to sell a leasehold property?
Correct, it can take much longer to carry out the conveyancing on a leasehold house or flat, compared to freehold conveyancing.
The buyer's solicitor will need to review several leasehold-related documents, like a copy of the freehold property's buildings insurance and an up-to-date statement of service charges. The time it takes your lawyer to source this information is usually the cause of these delays.
It can take a long time to gather these details if the agent responsible for managing the property is slow or difficult to contact, so your lawyer should start this process even before a sale has been agreed.
Read more:
Selling a leasehold flat? What to do before going on the market
Conveyancing for selling a property
Remortgaging
The current Bank of England base rate is 4.5% (18 November, 2025)
Verify your conveyancer is on your lender's panel before you instruct your solicitor.
Our remortgage panel solicitors are on the panels of almost all building societies and banks. Whether you are switching to a 30-year mortgage from Metro Bank or moving to a guarantor mortgage with Bluestone, we can help take care of the legal side.
Read more:
Find out if our panel solicitors can act for your lender
Get a remortgage conveyancing quote
Folkestone Transfer of equity
If you are planning to change the ownership shares of your property, whether you are gifting a home, adding a new partner to your property's title or tax planning for the future, a transfer of equity is required.
Your property lawyer can handle the legal work for a fixed fee.
Read more:
Transfer of equity Stamp Duty calculator
Get a transfer of equity conveyancing quote
How much does conveyancing cost in Folkestone?
Conveyancing legal fees
These fees are paid to your solicitor for the legal work that they complete. Your solicitor's quote will detail the fees for the legal work, including VAT, that you'll pay when your transaction completes.
Disbursements
The conveyancing quote should also include any disbursements, which are third-party costs, including Local authority searches, Stamp Duty or a bank transfer fee.
Check what's included in your conveyancing quote
If you are comparing quotes, double-check for additional fees or charges. Some solicitors' quotes list extra charges in the small print, resulting in an inflated final bill.
