Strictly speaking, no. There is no UK law that requires a buyer to instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer when buying a house. In theory, you could handle the entire transaction yourself. In practice, almost every buyer instructs a professional — and for very good reasons. This article explains when DIY conveyancing is legally possible, when it is practically impossible, and what your conveyancing solicitor actually does that justifies the fee.
When you legally must use a conveyancer
There are two situations in which you have no realistic choice:
1. If you are buying with a mortgage
Every UK mortgage lender requires the borrower to use a regulated conveyancer — either a solicitor (SRA-regulated) or a licensed conveyancer (CLC-regulated). The lender will not release the mortgage funds otherwise. This is because the lender has its own interests to protect:
- They need legal certainty that the property has clean title
- They need their charge properly registered against the property
- They need to know the buyer's deposit has been properly source-verified
- They need a Certificate of Title from a regulated professional confirming all of the above
DIY conveyancing simply does not produce these outputs. No mainstream UK lender accepts a non-professional conveyancer.
2. If the property has any complication
Even for cash buyers, complications make DIY effectively impossible. These include:
- Leasehold property (you have to negotiate with the freeholder and managing agent)
- Unregistered land (you have to investigate decades of paper deeds — see our guide to title deeds in conveyancing)
- Restrictive covenants (you have to assess and resolve them)
- Easements and rights of way (you have to map them and check enforcement)
- New-build property (you have to review developer contracts and warranty arrangements)
- Property with shared services (drains, driveways, garden walls)
- Listed buildings or properties in conservation areas
- Properties at flood risk or with environmental issues
In other words, every property except a registered freehold house with no complications.
What does a conveyancing solicitor actually do?
The work falls into seven distinct phases:
1. Instruction and verification
ID checks, source-of-funds verification, and AML compliance.
2. Contract pack review
Receiving and reviewing the draft contract, title register, title plan, TA6, TA10, and any management documents from the seller's side.
3. Property searches
Ordering and reviewing the standard search package — Local Authority, Drainage and Water, Environmental, Chancel Repair, and any other relevant searches based on the property.
4. Enquiries
Raising legal questions with the seller's solicitor based on the title, searches, and your specific situation.
5. Mortgage liaison
Reviewing the mortgage offer terms and conditions, dealing with the lender's instructions, and issuing the Certificate of Title that releases the funds.
6. Exchange and completion
Synchronising with the other solicitors in the chain to time exchange, holding the deposit, drawing down mortgage funds, transferring completion monies, receiving the keys release confirmation, and handling SDLT.
7. Post-completion
Filing the SDLT return, submitting the AP1 application to HM Land Registry, and sending you a copy of the updated title register.
A competent solicitor will also field your questions throughout, manage the timing pressures, push back on unreasonable requests from the other side, and exercise judgement on the dozens of small decisions that come up.
Solicitor vs licensed conveyancer
Both can legally act on residential conveyancing. Solicitors are regulated by the SRA and can do the full range of legal work; licensed conveyancers are CLC-regulated and property-only. Both have mandatory indemnity insurance and compensation funds. Solicitors are on almost all lender panels; licensed conveyancers are on most. For a routine residential purchase, either is fine. If your transaction has any non-property complication (family law, immigration status, business considerations), a solicitor is usually a better choice.
J Scott & Co Solicitors is SRA-regulated (number 621898) and CQS-accredited.
Local context
If you are buying in Windsor, Maidenhead, Beaconsfield, or Reading, our team can act on your purchase end-to-end with a written fixed-fee quote.