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Moving house

Our conveyancing service explained, for sale and purchase.

A guide to moving house
What to expect during the conveyancing process when you’re selling your home

  • Confirmation of instructions evidence of identity and money on account received from you.
  • Property Information Form and Fittings and Contents Form received from you completed. 
  • On receipt of above, Contract and supporting documents sent to the buyers solicitors. 
  • Contract sent to you for signature.
  • Redemption figure requested if mortgage on property.
  • Reply to any enquiries buyers solicitors may raise. If any require your personal knowledge then we obtain your replies to the same.
  • When buyer’s solicitors are satisfied, and following a discussion with you, your conveyancer will agree a completion date and exchange contracts.
  • On exchange the completion date is legally binding.
  • Final redemption statement from your lender requested.
  • Your signature to Transfer obtained.
  • Estate Agents account obtained and approved.
  • Your conveyancer prepares the completion statement.
  • On completion you conveyancer receives sale monies. When monies are received your conveyancer then pay the existing mortgage (if any) and pay your Estate Agents account.
  • Pay the balance to you either by cheque or telegraphic transfer (if not buying alternative property).

What to expect during the conveyancing process during your house purchase

  • Confirmation of instructions evidence of identity and monies on account for search fees received.
  • Contract documents received from Seller’s solicitors.
  • Searches submitted. Results reported to you.
  • Plan and initial report forwarded to you for comment.
  • We raise any additional enquiries with the Seller’s solicitors.
  • When mortgage offer received we report to you to ensure you are aware of the general terms.
  • When we are satisfied with responses from the Seller’s solicitors we report to you.
  • When you confirm you are satisfied we will forward to you all documents for signature and request the balance due from you.;
  • We will ask you for a suggested date for completion.
  • Contracts are exchanged when:

1) All parties agree a date for completion

2) We are in receipt of all signed documents

3) We are in receipt of the balance due from you.

  • The completion date is fixed. This is legally binding on both parties.
  • When a completion date is agreed we submit the Certificate of Title to your Mortgagees requesting mortgage funds.
  • On the day of completion we forward the balance to the Sellers solicitors.
  • Once funds are received by the Seller’s solicitors they will release the keys via the Estate Agents
  • You obtain your keys from the Estate Agents.
  • We attend to payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (if applicable).
  • We then register your interest in the property with the Land Registry. We forward a copy of the completed Register to you for you to keep safely.

Suggested check list for change of address notification when you are moving house

Financial
Accountant
Bank
Building Society
Credit agreements
Employer
Independent Financial Advisor
HM Revenue and Customers
Life and Home Insurance
Pension
Personal Insurance
Premium Bonds
Savings and Investments
Shares
Social Security / National Insurance
Services
Gas provider
Electricity provider
Water company
Local authority / council tax
Internet service provider
Mobile telephone
Telephone provider
Television licence
Television provider
Passport office
Solicitors*
Medical
GP
Blood donor service
Dentist
Optician
Private health care
Vet
Social and education
Clubs and societies
Family and friends
Magazine subscription
Professional bodies
Schools
Sports and leisure club
Transport
Breakdown organisations
Car/motorcycle tax/log book
Driving licence
Purchasing
Guarantees/service agreements
Internet accounts
Store and loyalty cards
Appliance rental
Credit card companies
Catalogue and mail order

*When you are moving house or buying your first home it is vital to make or update your Will. Call our Wills team on 0113 320 5000 for your FREE no obligation consultation.

Client feedback

I would definitely highly recommend the efficiency & good communication thry have & have had several properties successfully completed with
Mr H
Excellent local solicitors would recommend. You can call in the office car parking available and receptionists very helpful if you need help. Dealt with them before, excellent.
Ian
Winston Solicitors was recommended to me, as this was my first time buying a house and didn’t know what to expect. They made the process very easy and I did not have to worry about any of the process as I got to track it every step of the way. Samantha also kept me updated and any queries were replied to promptly. I will definitely be using again in the future and recommend everyone I know.
Mr Michel
I can’t speak highly enough of Sidraa at Winston Solicitors for her exceptional support throughout my house purchase. From start to finish, she has been absolutely brilliant. Her prompt responses, attention to detail, and professionalism made a stressful process feel manageable and smooth. This is actually the second time I’ve used Winston Solicitors, and once again, they have been great. Consistent, reliable, and professional and Sidraa in particular truly went above and beyond. She was always kind, polite, and incredibly approachable, nothing ever felt like too much trouble. Even when dealing with a particularly difficult chain and the added pressure of a new stamp duty deadline, she worked tirelessly to get everything done on time. She responded to queries even out of hours, always called back when she said she would, and genuinely made me feel like a priority. What really stood out to me was her dedication — despite having preplanned annual leave for Eid, she still tried to keep things moving, which shows how committed she is to her clients. Her communication was clear and consistent, and she made a complex process feel a lot less daunting. I felt fully supported and in safe hands throughout. If you're looking for a solicitor who is professional, caring, and truly exceptional at what she does, Sidraa at Winston Solicitors is the one to go to. I’m incredibly grateful for everything she did and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again or recommend her to others. - April 2025
I Younas, Leeds
I would really like to thank both Amr and his assistant Joe. Throughout the whole process they kept me informed, nothing was ever too much. I am a first time buyer, this was a very stressful time but both members of staff made me feel at ease that it would get sorted. Thank you so much both!
Y Hinton, Leeds
Leasa and Julie were fantastic at helping us buy and sell our house. They were punctual, and kept us up to date with what was going on. Their online platform was clear to follow. Leasa's email response time was rapid, this was incredibly valuable. - March 2025
J Salthouse, Leeds
Superb service from a knowledgeable and professional team.The sale of my property was as far from straight forward as you could get, yet they handled everything perfectly. This made the process less stressful as i had the confidence in them to get it sorted!
Amy
2nd time using Winstons. 1st time was for a purchase and 2nd time was for a Sale. Sidra and Tom kept me updated at each stage of the process. We're very prompt in their responses and completed both times in a timely manner. Would highly recommend for conveyancing services
Farhana
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