Specialist conveyancing

What counts as specialist conveyancing?

Most purchases and sales follow a standard route. Some don't, because of who is selling, how the property is sold or quirks in the title. These cases need a conveyancer who knows the extra steps. We introduce you to SRA-regulated or CLC-licensed conveyancers; we don't carry out the legal work ourselves.

Types of specialist work

Probate and inherited property

Executors or administrators usually need a grant of probate (or letters of administration) before they can complete a sale. You can often market the property earlier – read selling a house before probate is granted, and see GOV.UK on applying for probate.

Auction purchases

At a traditional auction, contracts are usually exchanged when the hammer falls and completion often follows within about 28 days. Your conveyancer should review the legal pack before you bid.

Unregistered titles

Older properties may never have been registered. The conveyancer checks the deeds and applies for first registration – see properties not registered with Land Registry.

Flying freeholds

Where part of a freehold overhangs or sits beneath someone else's property, rights of support and access matter. Read buying a home with a flying freehold.

Rentcharges

Some freeholds carry an estate rentcharge, usually a yearly payment towards the upkeep of shared areas on an estate. Your conveyancer will check the amount, who collects it and what remedies the owner of the rentcharge has if it goes unpaid.

Shared ownership

You buy a share and pay rent on the rest, under a lease with the housing provider. Staircasing and resale rules apply; GOV.UK explains the shared ownership scheme.

Right to buy

Council and some housing association tenants can buy their home at a discount, subject to eligibility and resale conditions. See GOV.UK's guidance on Right to Buy.

The specialist process step by step

1. Early review. You tell us the circumstances and the conveyancer identifies the specialist issues.
2. Instruction and ID. Standard identity and funds checks, plus evidence of authority (for example the grant of probate).
3. Title investigation. Deeds, registers and any rentcharge, flying freehold or lease terms are examined.
4. Searches and enquiries. Tailored to the property and transaction.
5. Solutions. Indemnity insurance, deeds of rectification, landlord or provider consents, or first registration are arranged where needed.
6. Exchange and completion. Often on a timetable set by an auction, developer, housing provider or council.
7. Registration. The conveyancer files any tax return and registers the transaction at HM Land Registry.

What's included in a fixed-fee quote

• Legal fee, with supplements listed for the specialist element (such as unregistered title or shared ownership).
• Disbursements, for example searches, HM Land Registry fees, indemnity policies and housing provider or landlord fees.
• VAT on the legal fee and applicable disbursements.

Specialist matters can raise extra costs that weren't expected at the start, such as indemnity policies or additional registration work, so a good quote explains what could change and why.

We may receive a fee from the conveyancer we introduce you to. If so, it will be disclosed to you in writing before you instruct them, and it does not change the quote you're given.

Timescales

Timescales vary widely. Auctions run to a fixed contractual timetable, while probate sales depend on the grant and on executors agreeing. Unregistered titles and shared ownership consents can add weeks, and chains add uncertainty.

Common issues

• A seller dying mid-transaction, which can delay completion – see what happens if a seller dies before completion.
• Unclear ownership of shared paths and alleyways, often found on older terraces – read who owns the alley behind a house.
• Lender reluctance on flying freeholds, auction properties needing work or short shared ownership leases, which may need a specialist lender.
• Right to buy discount repayment if you sell within a set period after buying.

Your conveyancer will explain each issue and the options. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Documents you'll need

• ID and proof of address for each client.
• Grant of probate or letters of administration, and the death certificate, for inherited property.
• Original deeds for unregistered land.
• The auction legal pack, or your shared ownership lease and provider details.
• Right to buy offer notice and acceptance documents.

How we can help

Tell us what makes your property or transaction unusual. Request a specialist conveyancing quote and we'll arrange a fixed-fee quote from a regulated conveyancer. Related guides are listed below.