Conveyancing in Reading

What is involved in conveyancing in Reading?

When you buy or sell property, remortgage an existing property or transfer equity, conveyancing is the legal process involved. This involves all the paperwork and legal formalities to conclude the transaction. If you're buying a home in Reading, a conveyancing solicitor will take request searches, negotiate the price, exchange contracts and transfer the funds on completion day. All the Reading conveyancing solicitors we work with are fully qualified. Read more about the conveyancing services Homeward Legal offers here.

How do I get a quote for Reading conveyancing?

Use our online quote builder to get a quote for Reading conveyancing in minutes. All we need are some details about you and the property involved. Our team are also available on seven days a week. You can request a callback for a time that suits you.

Why should I choose a Reading conveyancing solicitor through Homeward Legal?

With our focus on excellent customer service coupled with cost-effective services, Homeward Legal is the ideal choice for Reading conveyancing. Here are some other good reasons to choose us:

• We always use plain English and don't complicate matters by using unnecessary legal jargon.
• We offer no-completion protection to ensure you won't be out of pocket if your transaction fails to complete for any reason.
• The legal fee you are quoted for conveyancing in Reading will be exactly what you pay, with no hidden costs*.
• All the law firms we work with have fully qualified solicitors regulated under the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.
• We always put our customers first. With hundreds of positive Trustpilot reviews, it's easy to see the high customer satisfaction with our service.

*Your quote from Homeward Legal will cover common conveyancing costs in line with the information you've provided to us. Depending on the specific circumstances of your transaction, and after discussion with your solicitor, there may be additional non-standard fees which would be in addition to the fee quoted by Homeward Legal.

How much does conveyancing in Reading cost?

Every conveyancing transaction is unique, so the final cost will depend on factors such as the value of the property. A Reading conveyancing bill is likely to include solicitors' fees, surveyor costs, Stamp Duty Land Tax***, Land Registry fees, searches and bank transfer charges. In our guide to average conveyancing fees, you can find out the costs involved in Reading conveyancing.

The Stamp Duty Land Tax Holiday of up to £500,000 ended on the 30th June 2021. However, there is still temporary relief in place until 31st September 2021 up to £250,000, with the stamp duty rate ranging from 2% to 12% of the purchase price in England and Northern Ireland. After then, stamp duty will revert back to the normal threshold of £125,000.

How much does the average property cost in Reading?

The most recent 2020 updates on sold property prices from the Land Registry shows that the average home in Reading sells for £292,712. Breaking down those figures shows that a detached property has an average selling price of £590,771 with a semi-detached fetching £369,842. A terraced home will sell for an average £292,285 with flats and maisonettes selling for £213,597 on average.

How much will I pay in council tax in Reading?

Reading Borough Council sets the council tax rates for the city. Each residential property falls into one of eight bands. You can check which band your property has been placed here.

For 2020-21, council tax rates in Reading are:

How good are broadband speeds in Reading?

Most parts of Reading can access superfast, fibre-optic broadband with a number of providers offering excellent packages. You can use a broadband comparison site to check the typical speeds available at the postcode of your new property.

How do schools rate in Reading?

There are 67 primary schools in Reading, along with 26 secondary and 22 sixth form and further education colleges. Of those schools, 15 are rated as outstanding by Ofsted. Find out how your chosen school rates on the government's school performance website.

Reading is home to the University of Reading and to Henley Business School.

What can you tell me about contaminated land in Reading?

Former industrial sites - including factories, quarries, mines and landfill - are often contaminated and must be cleaned up before being used again. By law, Reading Borough Council must keep a register of all sites that have been identified as contaminated. Your Reading conveyancing solicitor will commission an environmental search from the council that will identify if your chosen property is affected by any contamination.

Is a chancel repair liability search a necessity when buying in Reading?

Chancel repair liability relates to historic Church of England parishes and a potential charge for property and landowners within those boundaries. We've prepared an informative guide to the liability. A Reading conveyancing solicitor for a purchase will advise on whether a chancel repair liability search is necessary for your transaction.

We're buying property in a Reading conservation area - what does this mean?

Conservation areas are those of special architectural or historic interest, which have much stricter planning controls. This means that any changes made to a property and even to trees or other landscaping must have permission from Reading Borough Council. There are currently 15 conservation areas within Reading, including Eldon Square and Market Place. Your conveyancing solicitor in Reading will instruct a local authority search that will reveal if your intended property purchase is affected by a conservation area's planning rules.

Should we instruct a conveyancing solicitor before we buy at property auction in Reading?

Our advice to anyone buying property at auction is to instruct their Reading conveyancing solicitor before making any bid. This gives your lawyer time to examine the legal pack and complete the transaction within what can often be a tight deadline, usually 28 days. You can read more in our comprehensive guide to conveyancing for auction property. The law firms we work with have completed sales from the likes of Auction House London, Allsop (commercial and residential), Award Property, Barnett Ross, Baxtons, Acuitus, Phillip Arnold Auctions, Countrywide Property Auctions and Drivers & Norris.

Are Reading's transport links good?

Reading is one of the destinations that's set to benefit when Crossrail eventually opens in London. At the moment South Western Trains offers direct rail services to London Paddington that take around 30 minutes with connections to Heathrow and Gatwick Airports also available. Great Western takes passengers westwards to Bath, Bristol and Cardiff.

Crossrail's Elizabeth Line will bring around six trains an hour from Reading to central London, the West End and the City and Docklands.

Reading Borough Council has published a long-term public transport strategy for the town that includes improvements in sustainable transport. Improving accessibility to public transport through cheaper fares, more routes and increased capacity is part of the strategy, along with better park-and-ride facilities and a wider cycle network.

Reading Buses operates the main bus service within the town and its surrounds. There are also express bus services to both main airports from Reading, while road users will take the M4 motorway to reach Reading from London or Cardiff.