Residential Conveyancing · Buying a Property
Part of our wider Residential Conveyancing services
Buying a Property
One point of contact. Clear, VAT-inclusive pricing. A qualified solicitor handling your purchase from offer accepted to completion.
We will explain every step before you commit — including what is included in our fee and what may not be. This is not factory conveyancing.
- Solicitor-led — not a paralegal or case handler
- One point of contact throughout
- Clear, VAT-inclusive pricing confirmed in writing
- We explain costs before any work begins
No obligation — talk through your options first.
Why it matters who handles your purchase
Buying a property is one of the largest financial commitments most people make. Volume conveyancing firms process hundreds of transactions simultaneously. Your matter is one of many. At PDA Law, your purchase is handled by a qualified solicitor who knows your file.
Title investigation
We review the title to the property, raise enquiries with the seller's solicitors, and report to you on anything that needs your attention — in plain English.
Searches
We carry out local authority, drainage, and environmental searches. We will advise you on any issues revealed and what they mean for your purchase — before you are committed.
Mortgage reporting
If you are purchasing with a mortgage, we act for your lender as well as you. We review the mortgage offer and report to you on its conditions.
Exchange and completion
We handle exchange of contracts and completion — including transferring funds, registering the title at Land Registry, and submitting your SDLT return.
How the purchase process works
Instruction
You instruct us once your offer is accepted. We send you a client care letter confirming our fees and terms before any work begins.
Investigation
We obtain the draft contract from the seller's solicitors, carry out searches, and raise enquiries. We report to you on the results in plain English.
Exchange
Once all enquiries are resolved and your mortgage offer is in place, we exchange contracts. The transaction becomes legally binding at this point.
Completion
On completion day, we transfer the purchase funds and you receive the keys. We then register the title in your name at Land Registry.
Fees & Transparency
We publish typical fees and explain what is included and what may not be included. All fee information is on our dedicated Fees & Transparency page — we do not hard-code prices on this page. Your exact quote is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
View our Fees & Transparency page →Related Conveyancing Services
Selling a Property
Efficient sale conveyancing with proactive communication and clear pricing.
Remortgage
Switching lender or product? We handle the legal work quickly and clearly.
Transfer of Equity
Adding or removing someone from a property title — specialist advice before you commit.
Right to Buy
Buying your council house under the Right to Buy scheme? We handle the conveyancing across England and Wales.
Conveyancing Fees & Costs
Your Conveyancing Solicitors
Meet Sean & Vikki
Our residential conveyancing team brings almost 50 years of combined experience to every transaction. Speak directly to the solicitor handling your purchase.
Your Conveyancing Solicitor
Sean Watts
Senior Residential Conveyancing Solicitor
Sean is a Senior Residential Conveyancing Solicitor with almost 30 years' experience. Known for his methodical approach and exceptional attention to detail, he keeps clients well-informed at every stage and handles even the most complex residential property matters with confidence.
Your Conveyancer
Vikki Rae-Williams
Senior Conveyancing Executive
Vikki is a Senior Conveyancing Executive with 20 years' experience in residential conveyancing, with a particular specialist interest in new build properties. She handles Help to Buy, shared ownership and all aspects of residential conveyancing with deep practical knowledge.
Buyer Beware: Understanding Caveat Emptor in Property Transactions
The principle of caveat emptor — a Latin phrase meaning “buyer beware” — is a fundamental law principle in English property transactions. Under caveat emptor, the buyer is responsible for carrying out their own investigations before exchanging contracts. The seller is not generally obliged to disclose defects unless asked directly.
This is why due diligence is so important when buying a property. Your solicitor will carry out conveyancing searches, raise enquiries with the seller's solicitor, and review the title documents — all as part of the buyer beware caveat emptor process. If you are a caveator or caveatee in a probate matter, the rules are different — but in property law, the principle places the burden of investigation firmly on the buyer.
Unlike caveat venditor (seller beware), which applies in consumer goods transactions under contract law (where implied warranty and fitness for a particular purpose protections apply), property law in England and Wales still largely follows the buyer emptor principle. This means information asymmetry between buyer and seller is common — and professional legal advice is essential.
At PDA Law, our conveyancing solicitors carry out thorough due diligence on your behalf — including local authority searches, environmental searches, drainage searches, and title investigation — to ensure you are fully informed before you commit to a good or service as significant as a property purchase.
Get a Free Quote
Request a Conveyancing Quote
Complete the form below and our conveyancing team will provide a detailed, no-obligation quote tailored to your property purchase.
Prefer to speak with us? Call 01244 757352
Ready to get started?
Get an online quote or speak directly to a conveyancing solicitor.
No obligation — clear fees confirmed in writing before any work begins.