Residential Property

Today we act for buyers, sellers and property owners across London, England and Wales, with particular experience in high-value freehold transactions, period and character properties, and complex titles. Whatever the transaction, our approach is the same: clear communication, proactive updates and a named lawyer who knows your matter from start to finish.

A dedicated lawyer, not a case number

Many conveyancing providers operate a team-based model, where your transaction passes between case handlers and you may never speak to the same person twice. We work differently.

Every Grant Saw client has a dedicated residential property lawyer with direct contact details — someone who knows your transaction, your chain and your priorities, and who takes personal responsibility for moving things forward. Our residential team is highly experienced, with senior lawyers who have handled thousands of transactions across every kind of property and title. When something unexpected arises — and in property, it often does — that experience is the difference between a delay and a solution.

Buying or selling a house or flat

We handle all aspects of freehold and leasehold purchases and sales — from family houses and period properties to high-value freehold transactions and complex titles. Our work regularly involves:

• Sales and purchases of freehold houses, including listed and period properties
• High-value transactions and complex titles, including unregistered land and title irregularities
• Simultaneous sale and purchase transactions and chain management
• Properties with restrictive covenants, easements or rights of way
• Leasehold flats and apartments, including complex, short or defective leases
• Auction sales, including the preparation of auction packs and special conditions
• Auction purchases including pre-advice before the auction  
• Sales and purchases by attorney's pursuant to a lasting or enduring power of attorney

Grant Saw has been rooted in Greenwich since 1851, and our lawyers have been helping people in South East London move home for generations. In South East London that means something specific: we know the streets, the estates, the freeholders and the managing agents, and that knowledge regularly resolves in days what would otherwise surface as a problem weeks into a transaction.

But most of what makes a conveyancer good travels. Wherever you are — you get the same dedicated lawyer, the same attention to detail, and a fully digital onboarding process that makes instructing us straightforward from anywhere. Clients across London and well beyond instruct us not because we are nearby, but because of how we handle the work. In recent years that has included transactions in Dorset, Surrey, Suffolk and Kent as well as across London and the South East. We often act for overseas clients selling or buying in London. We are regulated to deal with property anywhere in England and Wales and research locations which are not familiar with to deliver a bespoke service.    

The residential conveyancing process, step by step

Every residential property transaction follows a broadly similar path, though the detail varies with the property and the title. Understanding the stages helps you know what is happening — and what is coming next.

Instruction and identity checks. Once you instruct us, we carry out identity and source-of-funds checks — handled digitally, so there is no need to visit the office unless you would like to.

Draft contract and title review. On a purchase, the seller's solicitor sends the draft contract and title documents. Your lawyer reviews the title in detail, checking for restrictive covenants, easements, rights of way and anything else that affects the property or how you can use it.

Property searches. These include a local authority, environmental searches, and a water and drainage search. These reveal matters that do not appear on the title — planning history, road schemes, flood risk, contamination. We obtain an additional plan search to identify proposed development in the vicinity of the area — and in London they frequently surface issues worth resolving before you commit.

Enquiries. Your lawyer raises enquiries with the seller's solicitor on anything the contract, title or searches leave unclear, and continues until every point is satisfactorily answered.

Mortgage and report on title. If you are buying with a mortgage, we review your lender's requirements and report to them as well as to you. Before exchange, your lawyer sends you a full report on the property so you understand exactly what you are buying.

Exchange of contracts. Contracts become legally binding on exchange. A deposit is payable at this point — conventionally 10% of the purchase price, though it is often negotiated to 5%, particularly for buyers with higher loan-to-value mortgages. From exchange, neither party can withdraw without significant financial consequences, and the completion date is fixed.

Completion. On completion day, we transfer the purchase money, receive the keys release and the transaction completes. Your lawyer then prepares the completion documents, calculates and submits your stamp duty land tax return — including any first time buyer relief that applies — and registers your ownership at HM Land Registry.

On a sale, the process mirrors these stages from the other side: we prepare the contract pack, respond to the buyer's enquiries, and manage the transaction through to exchange and completion.

High-value and complex transactions

Substantial transactions carry substantial consequences when things go wrong. We regularly act on high-value residential purchases and sales where the title is complex, the timescale is demanding or the financing is layered — including transactions involving bridging finance, trust or estate ownership, and multiple linked properties.

If you are selling a substantial home, the quality of the legal preparation shapes the whole transaction: a well-prepared contract pack, anticipated enquiries and a responsive lawyer keep a sale moving where others stall. Clients instructing us on significant transactions receive senior lawyer attention throughout, with the detail, judgement and responsiveness those matters require.

Buying or selling property at auction

Auction transactions move to fixed deadlines — typically 28 days from the fall of the hammer — and the legal pack must be understood before you bid, not after. We provide auction conveyancing within auction timescales: reviewing legal packs, advising on risks and defects before auction day, and completing purchases and sales to deadline. We also act for sellers preparing legal packs for auction.

Remortgages, transfers of equity and bridging finance

When a fixed-rate mortgage deal comes to an end, moving quickly matters. We provide efficient remortgage conveyancing with clear timescales, so your new rate is secured without unnecessary delay. We also advise on transfers of equity — changing the ownership shares in a property, whether following a relationship change, for tax planning or within a family — and on bridging finance where short-term funding is needed to complete a purchase.

Selling a property from an estate, or after divorce

Some property transactions arise from wider life events. We regularly act on:

• Probate sales — selling a property from a deceased person's estate, working alongside our Private Client team so the sale and the estate administration run together
• Property transfers on divorce or separation — implementing financial settlements in coordination with our Family team
• Sales arising from contested estates — where a property must be sold as part of resolving a dispute, alongside our Contested Probate team

Because these teams sit within the same firm, nothing is lost between advisers — one firm, one file, one point of contact.

New leases, new build and developer work

We prepare and review new leases, act for developers on new build plot sales, and advise buyers of new build homes on developer contracts, incentives and build warranties.

Leasehold enfranchisement and lease extensions

Our specialist leasehold enfranchisement team advises on statutory and voluntary lease extensions, collective enfranchisement, Right to Manage applications and related leasehold matters. These are technical areas with strict timeframes and valuation requirements — visit our Leasehold Enfranchisement page for full details.

Specialist property agreements

We also advise on the sale or purchase of land with or without planning permission, option and overage agreements, deeds of easement, and Section 104, 106 and 278 agreements.

What should you ask before choosing a conveyancer?

Most people compare conveyancing quotes on price alone — understandably, because price is the only number the quotes make visible. But quotes rarely buy the same service. Before instructing a conveyancer, it is worth asking:

• Who will actually handle my transaction? A named, qualified lawyer — or a team of case handlers?
• How experienced are they? Complex titles, chains and last-minute problems are resolved by judgement, not process.
• What does the quote include? Some low headline fees exclude work that is later charged as extras. We are transparent about what is included from the outset, and if something falls outside the agreed scope, we tell you before the work is done — never after.
• How will I be kept informed? Proactive updates, or chasing a call centre?

The answers to these questions explain why conveyancing fees differ — and what you are actually buying.

Why choose Grant Saw?

• A dedicated, named residential property lawyer for every client, from instruction to completion
• A senior team with deep experience across every kind of residential transaction and title
• Lexcel and ISO accredited — independent marks of a well-run, quality-managed law firm
• Consistently strong client reviews from buyers and sellers across London and beyond
• Transparent pricing from the outset, with no hidden charges within the agreed scope
• Rooted in Greenwich since 1851, acting for clients across London, England and Wales
• Fully remote onboarding available — identity checks, documents and signatures handled digitally, so instructing us is straightforward wherever you are

Frequently asked questions

Talk to our residential property team

Whether you are buying or selling your home, remortgaging, or need advice on any residential property matter, our team is here to help. Email us or contact us on 020 8858 6971.