"Amazing service. Completed on a house sale in 28 days. Great communication and got the job done."
Look no further for your residential conveyancing solicitor in Reading
Whatever your property challenge, we can solve it.
Selling property in Reading
Your expert conveyancing solicitor's role when selling a property in Reading, will include:
- Draft contracts – Your conveyancing solicitor drafts the initial legal contract to be sent to the buyer's solicitor.
- Responding to enquiries – your solicitor responds to any questions the buyer's solicitor may have (this is where you'll find out if you are missing documents, which can cause delays to your sale).
- Investigating issues – your solicitor may need to complete further investigation to try and satisfy them.
- Exchange contracts – once the buyer's solicitor has satisfied their enquiries, contracts are finalised and exchanged
- On the day of completion – your solicitor receives the money for the sale, discharges the mortgage (if required), pays the estate agent, deducts their fee and then sends the net sale proceeds to you.
- Post completion – your solicitor receives the DS1 discharge documents and, when leasehold, settles your liabilities for ground rent and service charges.
Our Reading conveyancing solicitors' cost for selling a property starts from £723 INC VAT.
For Reading buying
- Draft contracts – Your solicitor reviews the draft contract sent by the seller's solicitor.
- Raising enquiries – your solicitor will ask the seller's solicitor questions based on the contract, title, and property documents to protect you from any nasty surprises.
- Exchange contracts – once your solicitor is satisfied with their enquiries, they agree with the seller to finalise and exchange contracts
- Day of completion – on the day of completion, your solicitor transfers the money for the sale.
- Post completion – following completion, your solicitor makes an application to HM Land Registry to register you as the new owner.
Our Reading conveyancing solicitors' cost for buying a property starts from £723 INC VAT.
Add or remove someone from a property title in Reading
With a Transfer of Equity, you can buy someone out of a shared property and remove them from the title, or add someone to the title to transfer ownership of a share of the property, making them a joint owner. This service includes:
- Property solicitors fees including ID checks, office copies
- HM Land Registration fees
- (if party being removed) ID1 Form verification fee
- (if mortgage) Change of mortgage fee
- (if leasehold) Notice fee to freeholder
Our Reading conveyancing solicitors' cost for a Transfer of Equity in Reading starts at £399 INC VAT.
If someone is giving up their share of the property for less than market value, they may be required to get independent legal advice, which will be an additional expense.
Switch your mortgage deal in Reading
Your remortgage solicitor will perform all the necessary checks, review your new mortgage offer, and update HM Land Registry post-completion. The process is similar to when you purchase but should take less time, as the solicitor doesn't need to raise any legal enquiries.
If you own a leasehold property, your solicitor must carry out extra work to investigate the lease terms. Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for a remortgage in Reading starts at £363 INC VAT INC VAT.
Purchase the next chunk of your equity
When you're ready to buy the next chunk of the equity in your shared ownership property, a conveyancer will be required to handle:
- The bank transfer;
- obtaining a mortgage redemption statement from your existing lender;
- receiving your new mortgage offer and confirming the lender terms;
- receiving the memorandum of staircasing;
- handling completion;
- filing SDLT form (if required); and
- registration at the Land Registry.
Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for shared ownership staircasing in Reading starts at £569 INC VAT.
If you need to add someone to the legal title, you will need to pay an additional fee for a transfer of equity.
Paying off your Help to Buy equity loan
You'll need a solicitor to:
- Receive redemption letter;
- review title for ownership and restrictions;
- obtain Authority to Complete;
- draft a deed of postponement for your current lender;
- handling completion;
- bank transfer; and
- if repaid in full, removal of the loan restriction at the Land Registry.
Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for Help to Buy loan redemption in Reading starts at £333 INC VAT.
Price based on a freehold with the loan being repaid in full using savings.
Why buy a home in Reading?
Reading is a large town in Berkshire. It combines excellent shopping and great leisure options with many housing choices. It hosts the University of Reading, the annual Reading Festival (in Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue) and a number of prominent theatres, including the Hexagon. The town also has 5 Grade I listed buildings, including Reading Abbey and Greyfriars Church.
West Berkshire Community Hospital, London Road, Benham Hill, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 3AS
Royal Berkshire Hospital, London Road, Craven Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5AN
The Berkshire Independent Hospital, Swallowscroft, Wensley Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 6UZ
Reading Railway Station is a major hub, offering connections to London Paddington, Birmingham, Oxford, Bristol and many other destinations. The M4 runs just to the south of the town (London to Wales) and the A33, heading south, links to the M3, which links London and Portsmouth.
Distance to Airports from Reading
| Airport | Miles by car |
| Heathrow | 26.4 miles |
| Luton | 56.3 miles |
| Southampton | 57.1 miles |
Kendrick School, 41 London Rd, Reading, RG1 5BN
Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School, Fawley Road, Southcote, Reading, RG30 3EP
Maiden Erlegh School, Silverdale Rd, Earley, Reading RG6 7HS
Residential Conveyancing Solicitors in and around Reading
Our Reading conveyancing solicitors can help you with your conveyance locally or in any of the surrounding areas, including Earley, Newbury, Twyford, Wokingham, Pangbourne, Caversham and Bracknell.
We have many offices throughout England and Wales, so you can find a solicitor near you.
- Kentwood Hill, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 6DL
- Matlock Road, Caversham Heights, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 7BS
- Rotherfield Way, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 8PJ
- Stanbury Gate, Spencers Wood, Reading, RG7 1SR
- Birdhill Avenue, Reading, RG2 7JU
- Reading Gateway (houses) – Church Lane, Three Mile Cross.
Developed by Bewley Homes from our property solicitors Reading.
Reading Property Prices
| Average property price in Reading | £425,127 |
| Population of Reading | 155,700 |
Local conveyancing solicitor
What are the Pros and Cons of using a licensed conveyancing solicitor in Reading?
The Pros of using property lawyers near me
- You may know your local conveyancing solicitors - this is a huge benefit if you know your solicitor already, especially if it is a small community where you live.
- You can drop your documents and ID off - losing your original ID and documents is always a worry, so being able pop in to your local conveyancing solicitors office helps alleviate this issue (although with scanned ID and online ID checks the worry of loss passport is a thing of the past).
The Cons of using property solicitors near me
- Not on your mortgage lender's panel - local law firms are often smaller with fewer principals which may exclude them from working with certain major high street solicitors.
- Taking time off from work - it isn't always easy to visit your solicitor and having to see them 2 or 3 times during the conveyancing process may add a strain onto your work life, or be unachievable if you live abroad.
- Locally inexperienced - your local solicitor may not specialise in conveyancing and may have more experience in other areas of law.
- Less competition, higher prices - with less competition your local solicitor's legal fees are most likely to cost more, especially if they have to keep premises in premium high-street real estate.
Why choose SAM Conveyancing Solicitors in Reading?
Whether you're buying, selling, remortgaging, dealing with a lease, staircasing shared ownership, or paying offyour help to buy loan, you'll need a conveyancing specialist to handle the legal side of things. With SAM you get the benefit of dedicated conveyancing executive who'll guide you through the process, from start to finish, at no extra cost. Available Monday to Saturday to answer all your questions, we'll bridge the gap between you and your solicitor, with regular updates in plain English.
We have hand selected some of the best conveyancing solicitors Reading has to offer, which are backed by a no sale no fee guarantee and the Reading conveyancing fee we quote is broken down so you can see exactly what your quote includes. What we quote you is the fixed price you will pay for the agreed work. No unpleasant surprises.
You'll also benefit form our state of the art Online Conveyancing Process to track your progress and next steps along the way.
Affordable Housing Schemes
Several affordable housing schemes in Reading help make buying a property more achievable. The work is more complex, and we have specialist conveyancing solicitors to handle the following:
- Shared Ownership Solicitors
- Right to Buy Solicitors Reading - speak to Reading Borough Council to find out if you are eligible
- Discount Market Sale Reading - check with Reading Borough Council if they are running a DMS scheme
Reading conveyancing solicitors
You can rest assured that you're in good hands with our Reading Conveyancing Solicitors. They are skilled and experienced with complex property transactions from a simple purchase for a property in Reading to a Sale and Purchase of a shared ownership property, executing a Deed of Trust simultaneously.
Are you buying or selling a short lease in Reading?
We have specialist leasehold conveyancing solicitors in Reading to handle your sale & purchase of a leasehold property, as well as lease extensions and creation, sale, or purchase of a Reading share of freehold property.
Due to the additional legal work surrounding the lease and terms, your quote will be calculated based on the tenure, so as long as you give us the correct details when getting your Reading leasehold inclusive, fixed fee, conveyancing quotes with the simple form above, this will be included in your initial quote, not a surprise addition later on. Property Challenges Solved.
Conveyancing FAQs: Property Lawyers Reading
The average conveyancing cost in London can be slightly higher than in the rest of the country. Depending on the property's price and the transaction's complexity, you could pay several hundred to a couple of thousand pounds. Our conveyancing fees in Reading are based on the purchase price, and start at £723 INC VAT.
Fill in our easy online form for a fixed quote tailored to your requirements.
Reading conveyancing solicitor fees vary between online conveyancing solicitors, high street licensed conveyancers or housing solicitors introduced by your estate agent.
It's unnecessary to have a local property solicitor as the conveyancing process is the same throughout England and Wales. You should prioritise service and efficiency over proximity to Reading, when choosing a good conveyancing solicitor for any property transaction.
Many factors can delay conveyancing in Reading. A simple property transaction can be completed in less than two months, but the average is closer to 12-16 weeks.
CQS Accreditation
All our panel solicitors are CQS accredited. You can trust the Conveyancing Quality Scheme for the highest standards of conveyancing.
Fixed Fee
Don't bother with an 'estimate' fee. You want to make sure that your total fee is fixed (they can't charge you more later) and it includes all the necessary components. We build your quote based on each of the costs involved in a standard transaction based on the information you give us, with no sneaky extra fees. If you have additional requirements, speak with a helpful team member to ensure everything you need is covered within your quote.
No Sale No Fee
Choose conveyancing solicitors in Reading who offer a No Sale No Fee Guarantee, like ours. If your first sale or purchase falls through, the money you've spent with us will go toward your next one. Terms apply.
Reviews
Check out their reviews to be sure they provide a good service and meet their timescales.
Communication
Not knowing what is going on is the most frustrating thing for a client. Many solicitors are too busy doing legal work to answer all their clients call for updates. With SAM Conveyancing, you'll have a dedicated conveyancing executive available Monday to Saturday. They'll keep you in the loop on progress, translate the legal jargon, chase your solicitor when required and email you about milestones.
Value
Get a fully comprehensive quote covering all your needs so you can accurately compare your options to ensure you're paying a good price.
Online conveyancing is just as safe as you protect your data on the internet as you would in any other transaction. Online conveyancing means speedier turnaround times on documents, more convenient meetings and lower running costs for the firm. We pass our savings on to you.
Yes, if you're buying and selling simultaneously, the same conveyancing solicitor can handle both transactions, saving you money, as you'll only have to do the 'new client' admin once.
1. Get a mortgage in principle
Know what you can afford to save wasting time on any false starts.
2. Instruct your conveyancing solicitor before you make your offer
Waiting until your offer is accepted can delay your transaction. As early as possible, inform them of any details, such as gifted deposits. An online service reduces snail mail delays and waiting for physical meetings, which can be conducted by video call.
3. Apply for your mortgage quickly
You can submit your application as soon as your offer is accepted. An independent broker can help speed this along.
4. Order your searches and surveys
Ordering these early can speed up your conveyancing process, especially if local authorities face delays. However, it is usually considered prudent to time this with the rest of your chain if a transaction falls through.
5. Get your building insurance ready
You'll need insurance from the exchange so research & compare insurance quotes, once your solicitor is instructed.
6. Paperwork (When selling)
Ensure you have your paperwork, including energy performance & FENSA certificates.
Berkshire is a county which touches a small part of the borders of West London. It is a home county (because it borders Greater London) and is often called Royal Berkshire because it contains Windsor and Windsor Castle. It hosts a number of iconic UK landmarks, such as Ascot (Ascot Racecourse), Wentworth (Golf Course), Sunningdale (Golf Course), Virginia Water, Windsor Great Park and Eton School. Virginia Water was the first postcode area where the average property price exceeded one million.
Like many of the home counties, there are many essentially commuter dormitory settlements which house London workers. Reading (which is Berkshire's county town), in particular, is a larger one and is popular because of its very fast rail links to Central London - there are many one-stop services to London Paddington and it is also due to be the western terminus of the Crossrail line.
**Our panel of solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and conveyancing work is accredited with the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme.
***No Sale No Fee applies to any sale or purchase quote except auction and right to buy. Read our No Sale No Fee Policy.
What are the conveyancing costs?
Reading Conveyancing Solicitor fees vary between online conveyancing solicitors, high street conveyancers or housing solicitors introduced by your estate agent.
The actual conveyancing costs, outside of the legal work, should be fixed, including:
For buyers: stamp duty, land registration, property searches, ID searches and leasehold charges (if buying a leasehold property).
For sellers: office copies, title plan and management information (if selling a leasehold property).
Make sure to budget for all of the above conveyancing costs and to get a fixed fee conveyancing quote from several firms, to compare value.
Making the right choice of solicitor is key to the whole process:
- Cheap Conveyancing
- Fast Conveyancing
- Best Conveyancing Service
Can you buy a property with a deposit under 10%?
You can buy a property with a deposit of less than 10% of the home's selling price. Beyond just getting the vendor's agreement, please see below various examples of conveyancing where this is normal.
- If you're buying a shared ownership property, you have to pay a 10% deposit – but this is a percentage of the percentage you're buying, so in effect, your deposit can be as little as 2.5% of the whole selling price.
- You don't have to present any deposit if you're buying using a No Deposit Mortgage (Offset): funds are provided by a helper instead.
- If you're buying a concessionary purchase, the discount from the full selling price counts as the deposit.
