Guide to Conveyancing Babbe Guernsey

What is conveyancing?

3 Min Read

A brief guide for property owners in Guernsey

Conveyancing is the term used to describe the process of either buying or selling a property/piece of land or part thereof.

The process begins when you have had an offer accepted on a property you wish to buy (or you have accepted an offer if you are selling) and ends at the point where you meet the Vendor (the person selling the property) or Purchaser in court to consent to buy or sell the property

In the intervening time, work is undertaken by a conveyancer within a firm of advocates overseen by a property advocate. What is involved in the conveyancing process varies greatly between that which is needed for a purchase and that which is needed for a sale and depends on whether any discrepancies are found.

A more detailed explanation can be found in our free to download Guide to Conveyancing or you can pick a copy up from our Reception.

What is a conveyancer?

A conveyancer is a person within a firm of advocates whose job it is to help guide you through the process of buying or selling a property.

They will also liaise with your lending bank, the estate agent, and the conveyancer who acts for the Vendor/Purchaser on the other side of the conveyance.

What should I do prior to instructing a conveyancer?

Before you start looking for a property, you will need to speak to a lender or mortgage broker to ascertain how much you will be able to borrow. Please bear in mind that Document Duty is payable on most property transactions, although there are some exemptions.

The amount you can borrow, in addition to any savings you may have, will guide you when looking at which properties you will be able to afford. Once you have found the house you want to buy, it’s time to put in an offer.

The role of the estate agent

The estate agent acting for the vendor of the property will be able to assist with this and will liaise with the vendor. If your offer is accepted, the estate agent will produce conditions of sale. This is a contract of your purchase and sets out the basic information about the property. The conditions of sale do not become binding until all parties have signed unconditionally and the deposit (which is usually 10% of the purchase price) has been paid.

It is now time to appoint a conveyancer to act for you. You will also need to contact your lender to inform them that you have found a property. It is likely that your lender will then appoint a surveyor to visit the property.

We are a firm of Guernsey-based advocates that specialises in property transactions

If you wish to buy or sell a property in Guernsey, our conveyancing lawyers are available to advise. You can learn more about our services at Property & Conveyancing or Contact Us for a no commitment exploratory discussion.


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