Stamp Duty holiday extended. Read why some transactions won't complete in time.
About our conveyancing solicitors
We have hand selected some of the best conveyancing solicitors to work with in the market who provide a service we are prepared to put our name to. We focus on:
- Regular and informative updates - we tell you when something has been done and then what happens next
- Being one ring away from SAM - call us on 0333 344 3234 (local call charges apply) and see for yourself how quickly we pick up.
- Being realistic - You are human and so are we. If there is a problem or a delay, we work with you on explaining what the issue is and don't provide time frames that are unrealistic and won't be achieved.
When working with SAM Conveyancing you have one dedicated member of the team to work with from start until finish who is there to support and guide you throughout the whole conveyancing process.
Our Best Conveyancing Quotes won't be beaten on price and service
At SAM we specialise in helping clients successfully move home and are acutely aware that every penny counts which is why we offer competitive conveyancing quotes. If you are on the fence about working with us or another law firm then let us do a price and service comparison for you. You'll be surprised how quickly I can show you how good our service is compared to our competitors. I'll do this free of charge with no obligation to use us. Simply email me the quote and I'll send you my comparison today. If there is a difference I'll see if I can do something to help you.
Are we on your mortgage lender's panel?
Frequently Asked Questions
Online Conveyancing Quotes
You can get the best conveyancing quotes using our online quote engine. We keep our conveyancing fees low but maintain our high service standards. Our Conveyancing Fees are fixed for the work of a standard conveyancing transaction but with the best conveyancing quotes. In essence we provide a cheap conveyancing quote instantly but never skimp on service. Incidentally we also offer many other conveyancing-related services; our remortgage conveyancing quotes are equally competitive.
You'll also get free access to our online conveyancing process here:
FREE Online Conveyancing Process for Buyers
Includes online checklists, videos, downloads and tips - plus it is completely free to use from start to finish and saves your progress along the way.
Fixed Fee Conveyancing
Whether it's buying conveyancing quotes or selling, we always provide a fixed fee for the standard conveyancing work the online conveyancing solicitor will undertake on your behalf based on the services you tell us you need. Click to read more about the terms of our Fixed Fee Conveyancing.
We can help with a wide variety of additional services such as will and deed of trust drafting so please ask if you need any extra support.
Do you use solicitors?
All of our panel solicitors are solicitor firms and have the ‘Conveyancing Quality Scheme’ (CQS) accreditation.
What happens when you instruct our solicitor?
We get to work, and get to work fast:
For a purchase we:
- Call us at our head office on 0333 344 3234 - we can work with you wherever you are based (this is great for our overseas clients)
- We’ll provide you with the solicitor’s details to provide to your mortgage lender (our solicitors are on all mortgage lender panels)
- We’ll speak to the estate agent and make sure the property is removed from the market
- You provide ID forms, proof of funds and Purchase Questionnaire (emailed on instruction)
- Then we hand-hold you throughout until completion, updating you and supporting when you need it the most
For a sale we:
- Call us at our head office on 0333 344 3234 - we can work with you wherever you are based (this is great for our overseas clients)
- We’ll speak to the estate agent and make sure the sales memorandum is issued
- You provide proof of ID, Sale Questionnaire and property information forms (emailed on instruction)
- Then we hand-hold you throughout until completion, updating you and supporting when you need it the most
When do you pay money during the process?
We know moving home is expensive which is why we explain exactly when you need to pay money during the process.
For a purchase:
- On instruction you pay £190 to your solicitor and this is covered under our No Sale No Fee Policy;
- the next thing to pay is £265 for your property searches (normally paid when you order your mortgage valuation);
- then there is nothing to pay until you exchange where you need to pay 10% of the purchase price;
- the balance of the money is paid the day before completion (including stamp duty, land registry and balance of your solicitors’ fees)
For a sale:
- On instruction you pay £190 to your solicitor and this is covered under our No Sale No Fee Policy; and
- then the balance of the money is paid the day before completion.
I've had a nightmare with online solicitors before. What do you do differently?
We've heard about some other companies providing poor service and bad communication. For us this isn’t a challenge we encounter. The main thing to note is you’ll be working with a high street solicitor, just not on your high street. We simply advertise online, we are very much real people you can call and speak to.
What makes us so different is we offer an honest service, at a competitive price (we focus more on quality than being the cheapest) – The key thing is that we help you at every stage of the process telling you what to do. This is why our clients love working with us and give such rave reviews.
Are we on all mortgage lender panels?
Our solicitors are on the mortgage lender panel for all mortgage lenders except for Islamic mortgages. That means they can act for Santander plc, Barclays Bank Plc, Natwest Bank Plc, Accord Mortgages, Halifax Plc, and all the rest.
Do you have online case tracking?
We have a state of the art interactive online Conveyancing Process that we offer all of our clients for free. You can log on and see so much more than just the 5 or 6 things most case trackers offer. Why don't you log on and give it a try - Log onto our FREE Conveyancing Process.
How long does the conveyancing process take?
Conveyancing transaction depend on a number of factors and can be delayed if you the transaction has:
- a long chain;
- a leasehold in the chain;
- a property with a short lease that requires a lease extension;
- an absent freeholder; and/or
- no building control sign off for building works.
As a rule, the average time for a freehold to get to exchange is 6 to 8 weeks from receipt of contracts and for leaseholds if is 8 to 12 weeks, however other factors can influence the length of time. If you are working to a shorter time frame such as a 28 day exchange, then you will work with our new build and auction Dept to meet with this deadline.
How do you compare quotes?
The very first thing to do when comparing solicitors quotes is to note whether you're being offered an estimate or a fixed fee quote. In the case of the former, you face a challenge because while you'll invariably be given a temptingly low estimate, you'll need to examine that particular conveyancing firm's terms and conditions exhaustively to find out what extras you'll have to stump up for as your conveyancing progresses.
in fact you'll often find that things you'd regard as standard, such as photocopying of documents, are regarded as extras, meaning that your estimate will always end up much less than the final bill you're presented with. So not only will you find these kinds of quotes difficult to compare with others but also it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to predict what your final fees will be.
Additionally, if your move turns out to be more complicated than first thought – let's say your solicitor has to make many enquiries and this takes more work and time – your fees aren't capped so your final bill could skyrocket.
In the case of fixed fee quotes, which we always recommend, these are by their nature easier to compare with others of their type. You should still ensure that you find out exactly what matters are covered within the fixed fees and if there are any extras which you might normally be expected to pay.
Additionally to this, you should find out if your fixed fee quotes include extras which you should have included within your conveyancing, whatever happens. These include most importantly a No Sale No Fee guarantee, a great reassurance given that up to 1 in 3 planned home moves don't complete (you should of course check the terms of this guarantee carefully). Many first time buyers purchase using a gifted deposit and most property lawyers charge processing this item as an extra, although SAM Conveyancing's solicitors do not.
Bear in mind also that you might be expected to pay a little more for a fixed fee quote from a CQS-accredited conveyancing solicitor firm. But on its own, having this accreditation is worth a great deal as you can rely on the fact that the firm that carries this mark of quality is recognised for excellence in its customer service within the sector itself.
Are quotes always fixed?
Although fixed fees are increasingly becoming the norm, there are still a number of property lawyer firms who charge you on the basis of an initial estimate – which is invariably a very tempting price, such as £400.
There are a number of downsides of estimated quotes compared to fixed fee quotes. These include:
- Invariably you'll have to pay for any number of extras which will greatly multiply that low initial quote when it comes to paying your final bill.
- Many things classed as extras you might have expected would be standard for a quote – you might well be unpleasantly surprised to pay for something like routine photocopying, as one example.
- You'll find it very difficult to compare estimates from different property solicitors firms. For each quote, you'll have to look deeply into that online conveyancing solicitors firm's terms and conditions to find out what items are charged as extras.
- You might get a fair idea what you're expected to pay if you drill down into the terms and conditions as described. But if your conveyancing turns out to be more complicated that foreseen, your eventual bill doesn't have a cap, unlike for a fixed fee quote, so you might find yourself far more out-of-pocket that you thought in an already expensive process.
It's for these reasons that in an ideal world, all conveyancing fees would be derived from fixed fee quotes, however you should be aware that this is not the case and be very careful about considering any estimated quote.
Why should your quote include a no sale no fee guarantee?
By various estimates, as many as up to one in three home moves doesn't progress through to completion. This can be for a number of reasons, one particular example being that the buyer's mortgage valuation figure is sufficiently less than the buyer would need to proceed and the seller doesn't want to lower their price.
It is for this reason that no sale no fee guarantees exist: if your intended home move falls through for any reason, you don't have to pay any more money than you would have had to if you'd successfully completed. Your property solicitor is ready to start and work to progress your next proposed move as soon as you have one. You'll pay the balance of your fees – without any extra charges – once you've completed.
We recommend that you always insure yourself against your conveyancing falling through by getting a no sale no fee guarantee. You should, however, always check the terms of the guarantee as you would any other insurance contract.
Do CQS solicitors cost more?
The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme CQS is the industry-recognised quality standard in England and Wales for conveyancing solicitors. Property solicitor firms who wish to carry this accreditation have to apply to the Law Society to be awarded it and the process for them to achieve it is exacting and involves various inspections.
Comparing quotes involves looking into each individual quoting online conveyancing solicitors firms' terms and conditions to find out exactly what you're likely to be charged when you finish your home move. Comparisons are easier when firms' fees are fixed than if they are estimated. Regardless, it would be difficult to say for definite that conveyancing solicitors quotes from CQS conveyancing firms are always more expensive. In fact the best buy conveyancing quotes are often not the most expensive on the market.
That said, it might be reasonable to expect that CQS solicitor fees are more expensive than non-CQS solicitor quotes. But, like so many other things in life, you generally get what you pay for.
In the case of a home purchase, for most the total cost is likely to be the largest sum they've ever paid in their lives. Given this fact and that many studies have declared that a home move is among the most stressful events you'll ever experience (it's generally only the death of a partner or close family member which is rated as more challenging), it's surely worth paying that little bit extra to have your home move carried out by CQS solicitors. You're making an investment into lowering the chances of your move being stressful, in many ways this is something beyond price!
Should I select a local solicitor?
It's understandable for you to wonder whether you should be using your local high street solicitors and going for the best local conveyancing quotes, however your solicitor has no reason to be local to you to do their job efficiently - everything they need is available in document form is the first consideration - but also there are reasons why you might end up paying more unnecessarily if you do choose this path.
You can find out more about why you should concentrate on selecting the best online conveyancing quotes by looking at our article Do I need a Conveyancing Solicitors Near Me?
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Fixed Fee
Conveyancing Quotes
We'll tailor conveyancing quotes to your needs and include all of the solicitor fees in just one competitive Fixed Fee. Read our Fixed Price Conveyancing Policy.
Local knowledge
We successfully help thousands of clients move home throughout England & Wales each year and this gives our solicitors current local knowledge in and around your local area.
Conveyancing Quality Scheme & On All Mortgage Lender Panels
All of our panel solicitors have been awarded the CQS badge of excellence and can work on with any mortgage lender in England & Wales.
No Sale No Fee Conveyancing
All sale and purchase conveyancing quotes come with No Sale No Fee protection. Read our No Sale No Fee Policy
Fixed Fee | Rated Excellent on Trustpilot | No Sale No Fee | On all Mortgage Lender Panels
SAM Conveyancing, SAM Surveyors & SAM Mortgages are trading names of Share a Mortgage Ltd registration No. 08798475. We are an Introducer Approved Representative with the Financial Conduct Authority registration No. 618350. We comply with the Solicitors' Code of Conduct 2011 published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Our registered office is 19 Silwood Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 0PY.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.