Conveyancing in Swanage
Conveyancing is the process of preparing legal documents for a property sale, remortgage or lease extension, and transferring legal ownership if the property is being sold. If you need a solicitor for conveyancing in Swanage, we can help you with fast & proactive conveyancing from a national panel of conveyancing specialists.
We have helped clients in Swanage and throughout Purbeck 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: Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Weymouth
Buying property in Swanage
A coastal town in Dorset, Swanage is known for its sandy beaches, Victorian pier, and Swanage Railway, a heritage steam railway. The town is located at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site.
With good road links to Bournemouth and Poole, and regular bus services, Swanage is a popular location for tourists. The town has a population of approximately 10,000.
Council Tax in Swanage (2023/24)
Swanage is in Purbeck District Council.
What do conveyancing solicitors do?
A property lawyer helps the buyer with the legal side of transferring ownership from the seller to the buyer. This means carrying out comprehensive due diligence on the property, including applying for searches from local authorities (e.g. Dorset Council), raising enquires of the seller and registering the change of ownership.
Swanage conveyancing solicitors may undertake searches for flood risk.
Are you purchasing a property with a mortgage?
If you are getting a mortgage, your solicitor will also need to act for the bank arranging your mortgage.
Your transaction could take weeks longer if your conveyancer is not on your lender's panel.
Over 100 banks and specialist lenders have approved our chosen panel lawyers, so we can help you complete your Swanage 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
We can also assist home movers in Swanage with the conveyancing for:
When purchasing a home in a conservation area, your property lawyer will need to check for planning approval issues, which could include lapsed approvals, and lack of approval for an extension. Conservation areas in Swanage and across the Purbeck local authority include:Conservation area
There are more than half a million listed buildings in England and Wales - around 1,710 of which are in Purbeck District Council. Listed buildings and properties in and around Swanage include: Listed properties can be a joy to own, but they come with their share of complexities. Examples of the duties that listed building owners face include a duty to maintain the exterior appearance, and consent for additions like satellite dishes or external lighting. Our expert solicitor panel will advise you on the obligations imposed by listed property ownership. Read more:Listed buildings
New Build Conveyancing
The conveyancing process for buying a new build in Swanage can be complicated compared to other types of conveyancing.
A conveyancing solicitor in Swanage will need to be qualified to handle things like ensuring that new build mortgage conditions are met, checking planning conditions have been fulfilled and registering ownership with warranty providers, including NHBC, Advantage HCI and Ward Cole.
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Leasehold flats
Buying a leasehold flat in the UK is significantly more complex than buying a freehold property. The numerous common problems lying in wait for an uninformed purchaser can include legally technical issues like incomplete management company accounts and short leases.
Your solicitor will look into all potential issues with the lease and report back to you.
Read more:
What you need to know about buying a leasehold property
Should I be wary of buying a leasehold house?
Should I buy a property with a short lease?
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Selling a property in Swanage
When you begin the process to sell a home in Swanage, the solicitor will first prepare the necessary documentation, including the contract of sale and ID forms.
Responsibilities include answering enquiries from the buyer's solicitor and addressing snags like an absent freeholder.
Your solicitor will also communicate effectively with the other parties, including agents, lenders and landlords, to help ensure the home move is completed successfully.
Does a leasehold property take longer to sell?
Yes, it can take much more time to carry out the legal work to sell leasehold properties when compared to conveyancing on a freehold house.
The buyer's conveyancer will need to review these documents. These could include three years' filed accounts for the property management and management company information. The time required by the seller's conveyancer to source this information is the common cause of such delays.
It could take several weeks to collect this information if it is difficult to contact the agent responsible for managing the property or they are slow to respond, so your solicitor should commence this even before you have found a buyer.
Read more:
Selling a leasehold flat? What to do before going on the market
Conveyancing for selling a property
Remortgage in Swanage
The official base rate is 4.5% (18 February, 2025)
Before appointing a solicitor, your solicitor needs to be able to act on your chosen lender's behalf.
We work with remortgage solicitors who are members of all major lenders' panels, so whether you are changing to a discount mortgage with the Co-operative Bank or taking out a tracker mortgage from Swansea Building Society, our panel solicitors can guide you through the remortgage process.
Read more:
Check our panel solicitors can act for your lender
Get a remortgage conveyancing quote
Transfer of equity
Whether you are transferring the ownership of a property (in part or in full) to your children, tax planning for the future or buying out an ex-partner after a separation, a transfer of equity is required. Your solicitor will complete all the necessary paperwork for a low, fixed fee.
Read more:
Transfer of equity Stamp Duty calculator
Get a transfer of equity conveyancing quote
What are typical Swanage conveyancing fees?
Getting a conveyancing quote online is simple - but knowing what the quote does and does not include can be tricky.
Conveyancing legal fees
These fees are what your solicitor charges you for the work they carry out for you. The quote will detail the fees for the legal work, including VAT, to be paid when the conveyancing transaction completes.
Disbursements
Your conveyancing quote should also itemise required third-party costs, or disbursements, including Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), HM Land Registry fees and property searches.
Are the conveyancing fees fixed?
Some firms include additional fees in the small print. This can mean a higher final bill. If you are comparing conveyancing quotes, double-check for additional fees or charges.
