The role of a solicitor when buying a house

If you’re thinking of starting a new chapter and buying a new home, it’s natural to have a lot of questions. Many homebuyers are unsure whether they need a solicitor or if they can save themselves a little extra cash by going without. In this guide, we explain whether you need a solicitor when buying or selling a house.

Do I need a solicitor to buy a house? 

A solicitor or licensed conveyancer is highly recommended when buying your house as there is a lot of legal work. It is also likely your mortgage lender will need you to use a solicitor or licensed conveyancer. They will handle all paperwork on your behalf, offering advice at every stage.

Do I need a solicitor to remortgage?

• If you are remortgaging to a new lender, you will need a solicitor to close the existing mortgage from your previous lender, as well as your Land Registry and your title checks. 
• If you’re remortgaging with your current lender, you will not need a solicitor as this is a product transfer and doesn't need extra legal work.

When to instruct a solicitor when buying a house

You should arrange your solicitor as soon as your offer on the property is accepted. At this point, your solicitor will provide terms of engagement. These will give you a guide of the fees you will need to pay.

Your solicitor will also contact the seller’s solicitor and manage any discussion and paperwork for you.

What does a solicitor do when buying or selling a house?

A solicitor is on hand to manage all the legal aspects of the house buying process, such as transferring the ownership of your home. They will either charge you a flat rate for this, or take a percentage of the value of the property.

If you’re buying and selling a property at the same time, the same solicitor can deal with both matters.

Our solicitor service

Newcastle Building Society is in partnership with the UK’s leading conveyancing panel management specialist, Legal Marketing Services. Where our products are offered on a fees assisted basis (where a fees assisted legal transfer is included in the features of the product), LMS will manage the conveyancing service provided by one of their appointed conveyancing firms.

We hope you found this guide useful. You may also want to consider other guides in our house buying process.