What Is Conveyancing in a Remortgage?
When you remortgage to a new lender, the legal ownership and charges on your property need to be updated. Conveyancing is the legal work that ensures your old mortgage is discharged and the new lender's charge is registered against your property at HM Land Registry.
A conveyancer or solicitor acts on behalf of both you and the new lender (or sometimes separately for each). They carry out searches, review the title deeds, handle the transfer of funds, and ensure everything is legally in order before completion.
What the Conveyancer Does
During a remortgage, the conveyancer's role includes several key tasks:
- Reviewing the property's title deeds and checking for any issues
- Carrying out necessary searches (local authority, environmental, drainage)
- Liaising with your current lender to obtain redemption figures
- Preparing the new mortgage deed for you to sign
- Handling the transfer of funds on completion day
- Registering the new lender's charge at HM Land Registry
The conveyancer coordinates between you, your new lender, and your old lender to ensure everything happens in the right order and on time.
How Long Does Remortgage Conveyancing Take?
Remortgage conveyancing typically takes three to six weeks from instruction to completion, though straightforward cases can be quicker. The timeline depends on how quickly searches are returned, whether any title issues arise, and how responsive all parties are.
Common causes of delay include missing or incomplete title information, issues revealed by searches (such as planning or drainage concerns), and slow communication between the various parties. Keeping in regular contact with your conveyancer and responding promptly to any requests for information helps keep things moving.
Do I Have to Pay for Conveyancing?
Many remortgage deals include free legal work as an incentive. In these cases, the lender appoints a conveyancer from their panel and covers the cost. The quality of panel conveyancers varies — some are excellent, while others handle high volumes and communication can be limited.
You also have the option to instruct your own conveyancer, though you'll need to pay for this yourself. Costs typically range from £300 to £800 plus disbursements (the third-party charges for searches and Land Registry fees). Using your own conveyancer gives you more control but adds to the overall cost of remortgaging.
Important: Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. There will be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual rate available will depend on your circumstances. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home.