Buying, selling or remortgaging a property does not require you to sit in a solicitor’s office. Our online conveyancing solicitors handle the whole legal process remotely, for a fixed fee agreed before you instruct us, anywhere in England and Wales.
Bird & Co is accredited by the Law Society under the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) and Lexcel, holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification, is SRA-regulated and is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 1,120 reviews. You get a named conveyancer with a direct phone number and email address, plus online case tracking.
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| What it is | The full legal work of buying, selling or remortgaging a property, carried out by email, phone, video call and secure document exchange instead of in person |
| Our fee | A fixed legal fee, quoted in full before you instruct us. It does not change if the transaction takes longer than expected |
| What’s on top | Third-party costs only (disbursements), itemised in the same quote – searches, HM Land Registry fee, Stamp Duty, bank transfer fee, and lease-related fees on a flat |
| How it’s handled | Entirely online. Quote, instruction, ID checks, searches, enquiries, signing and completion. No office visit is required at any point |
| Who you deal with | One named conveyancer with a direct phone number and email address – not a call centre and not a different person each time |
| Case tracking | Online case tracking software, available whenever you want it |
| Identity checks | Verified digitally. No posting original documents and no appointment |
| Signing documents | Contracts are exchanged electronically. Deeds can be signed electronically too – see the section below for what that involves |
| Where we act | Property in England and Wales. You can be anywhere in the world. Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate legal systems |
| Lenders | On the approved panel for all major mortgage lenders |
| Accreditations | CQS, Lexcel, Cyber Essentials Plus, SRA-regulated, fully insured |
| Reviews | 4.9 / 5 on Trustpilot, from over 1,120 reviews |
What are the benefits of online conveyancing?
The main benefit is that you are no longer limited to the firms within driving distance of your house. Conveyancing is done on documents, not in meetings, so the firm’s quality matters far more than its postcode – and once you can choose from every firm in England and Wales, you choose on expertise, accreditation and price rather than proximity.
- No appointments. Nothing to schedule, nothing to travel to, no afternoon off work to sign something.
- Identity checked digitally. No posting your passport and no appointment to bring documents in.
- Registration is cheaper. HM Land Registry charges roughly 55% less to register a transfer lodged electronically than one lodged by post. On a £300,000 property that is £150 instead of £330 – and because it is a disbursement, the saving goes to you, not to us.
- You can see where the file is. Online case tracking lets you check progress without ringing to ask, and your conveyancer’s direct line is there when you do want to speak to someone.
- Documents move faster. Enquiries, search results and contract amendments go by secure electronic exchange, removing days of postal time at every one of a transaction’s many stages.
| Property value | HM Land Registry fee, lodged electronically | Lodged by post |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £80,000 | £20 | £45 |
| £80,001 to £100,000 | £40 | £95 |
| £100,001 to £200,000 | £100 | £230 |
| £200,001 to £500,000 | £150 | £330 |
| £500,001 to £1 million | £295 | £655 |
| Over £1 million | £500 | £1,105 |
HM Land Registry Scale 1 fees, in force 9 December 2024. Registering a mortgage rather than a transfer uses the lower Scale 2 fees, from £20.
How does online conveyancing work?
The legal process is exactly the same as it would be in an office – same searches, same enquiries, same duties to you and to your lender. Only the way information moves changes. The full sequence for a purchase:
- Get a quote. The quote tool gives you a fixed legal fee and an itemised list of the third-party costs your transaction needs, before you commit to anything.
- Instruct us online and verify your identity digitally. Confirm the quote and we open the file – no appointment to book. Anti-money-laundering and identity checks are completed electronically, and nothing original goes in the post.
- We obtain the contract pack and the title from the seller’s solicitor and HM Land Registry, and check the legal title – ownership, boundaries, rights of way, restrictive covenants, planning and building regulations consents, and on a flat the lease terms, ground rent, service charge and years remaining.
- We order and review your searches – local authority, drainage and water, and environmental, plus anything the location makes sensible such as coal mining or flood risk.
- We raise pre-contract enquiries on whatever the title, searches and property forms leave unresolved, and report to you in plain English.
- We report on your mortgage offer. We act for your lender too, so we check its conditions and confirm what must be in place before funds are released – including when the lender requires buildings insurance to start.
- You sign, we exchange and we complete. The contract is signed and exchanged electronically, which makes the transaction binding and fixes the date. The transfer deed has its own signing rules, set out below. On completion we send the money and the keys are released.
- We file and register. We submit and pay your Stamp Duty Land Tax to HM Revenue & Customs (or Land Transaction Tax to the Welsh Revenue Authority), then register you as owner at HM Land Registry electronically.
A sale runs the same way in reverse: we prepare the contract pack, answer the buyer’s enquiries, obtain your redemption figure, and pay off your mortgage and the estate agent out of the proceeds.
Can conveyancing be done online?
Yes – every stage of a residential property transaction can now be handled remotely, including signing. No step legally requires you to attend a solicitor’s office.
| Stage | Handled online? | What that means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Quote, instruction and identity checks | Yes | Digital verification; no original documents in the post |
| Searches | Yes | Ordered and returned electronically |
| Enquiries, title investigation and our report to you | Yes | Secure electronic exchange between solicitors, then a written report by email |
| Signing the contract | Yes | A contract is not a deed, so an electronic signature is valid |
| Signing the transfer deed and mortgage deed | Yes, with conditions | Deeds have their own rules – see below |
| Exchange and completion | Yes | Between solicitors by phone and electronic funds transfer |
| Stamp Duty return and payment | Yes | Filed and paid electronically by us |
| Registration at HM Land Registry | Yes | Lodged electronically, and cheaper for it |
Where you can be depends on the property, not on you. We act on property in England and Wales, and we regularly act for buyers, sellers and landlords living overseas. Scotland and Northern Ireland have entirely separate property systems, so a property there needs a solicitor qualified in that jurisdiction.
If you would rather do some of it in person, you can. Our Newark, Grantham and Lincoln offices are open, and coming in makes no difference to the fee. It is an option, not the default.
How much does online conveyancing cost?
We quote a fixed legal fee before you instruct us, and it does not change if the transaction turns out to be more work than expected. The quote itemises our fee and every third-party cost separately, so the figure you are given at the start is the figure you pay.
| Cost | What it is | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Our legal fee | Fixed, agreed before you instruct us | Quoted upfront, fixed |
| Search pack | Local authority, drainage and water, environmental, plus any location-specific search | Varies by local authority |
| HM Land Registry fee | Registering you as the new owner, at the electronic rate | £20 to £500 by value band – see the table above |
| Official copies of the title | Register and title plan from HM Land Registry | A few pounds per document |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax | Paid to HMRC on a purchase in England; Land Transaction Tax in Wales | Depends on price and circumstances – see below |
| Bank transfer and AML checks | Sending completion monies; electronic identity verification | Per transfer / per person |
| Leasehold fees | Notice of transfer and of charge, deed of covenant, management pack – set by the freeholder, not by us | Set by the lease |
How to read any online conveyancing quote, including ours. The cheapest headline figure is not always the cheapest transaction, and the difference is in what has been left out. Before accepting a quote from anyone, check:
- Is the legal fee fixed, or an estimate that rises if the file is “complex”? Leasehold, new build, shared ownership, unregistered title and gifted deposits all commonly trigger a supplement.
- Are disbursements itemised with figures, or bundled as “plus disbursements”? Searches and the HM Land Registry fee are known at the outset.
- Is there a referral fee inside the price? Estate agents and brokers are often paid for the introduction, and it comes out of what you pay.
- What will you owe if the sale falls through, and is VAT included? Get both in writing.
Stamp Duty. On a purchase in England, SDLT runs on a rising scale: nothing to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000, then 5% to £500,000, with no relief above £500,000. If you will own more than one residential property the higher rates add 5 percentage points to every band on any purchase of £40,000 or more, and a further 2% applies if you are not UK resident. Wales has Land Transaction Tax instead. We calculate the exact figure and file the return for you.
Rates correct as at August 2026. Confirm current figures on GOV.UK.
Get an exact figure in minutes with our instant online quote →
How long does online conveyancing take?
Working online removes postal delay and appointment delay, but not the two things that actually govern the timetable: your mortgage offer, and everybody else in the chain. That is more useful to know than a headline number.
| Transaction | Typical time from instruction to completion | What usually decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold purchase, no chain, mortgage agreed | 8–10 weeks | Local authority search turnaround |
| Freehold purchase in a chain | 10–14 weeks | The slowest party in the chain, not you |
| Leasehold purchase | 12–16 weeks | Waiting for the management pack from the freeholder or managing agent |
| New build with a fixed completion deadline | Set by the developer | Reservation terms; deadlines are often 28 days to exchange |
| Sale, no onward purchase | 8–10 weeks | Speed of the buyer’s searches and enquiries |
| Remortgage | 4–8 weeks | The formal mortgage offer and the redemption statement |
| Cash purchase, no chain | 4–6 weeks | Searches alone |
Three things speed a transaction up more than anything else, and two are yours to control:
- Instruct before you have found a property. We can open the file and complete your identity checks while you are still looking, which routinely saves a fortnight.
- Return the property information forms in full and early if you are selling. Incomplete forms generate enquiries, and enquiries are where weeks go.
- Chase the management pack on day one if you are buying a flat. It comes from the freeholder or managing agent, sits outside every solicitor’s control, and is the usual reason a leasehold purchase takes four months instead of three.
We give you a realistic estimate for your own transaction when we quote, and tell you as soon as anything changes it.
Can you sign contracts and deeds electronically?
Yes, and the law changed recently enough that much of the published guidance is out of date. Two documents, two sets of rules.
The contract for sale is not a deed. It can be signed with an ordinary electronic signature and exchanged electronically, and has been for years. Nothing about a contract requires paper, a witness or a post box.
The transfer deed (form TR1) and the mortgage deed are deeds. Because they are registrable dispositions under section 91 of the Land Registration Act 2002, HM Land Registry decides what it will accept. It currently accepts two routes:
| Route | What it requires | Witness needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyancer-certified electronic signature | Every party must be represented by a conveyancer. A conveyancer sets up and controls the signing platform. Each signatory receives a one-time password of at least six digits, and signs through the platform. The conveyancer then certifies that the process was followed. | Yes – the witness must be physically present with the signatory at the moment of signing, and signs through the platform immediately afterwards |
| Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) | A signature backed by a qualified certificate from a qualified trust service provider, uniquely linked to the signatory and to the document, so that any later alteration is detectable. Accepted for any registrable disposition since Notice 2 came into force on 1 June 2026 under rule 54C of the Land Registration Rules 2003. | No |
Two practical points that guidance tends to leave out.
First, “electronic” does not mean “unwitnessed”. On the conveyancer-certified route somebody still has to be in the room with you. Signing over a video call with the witness watching remotely will be rejected on registration.
Second, electronic signing needs both sides to be set up for it. The transfer deed is signed by the seller and usually the buyer, so if the other party’s firm is not running a compliant platform the deed gets printed and posted whatever our own capability is. That is the usual reason a transaction that has otherwise run entirely online finishes with one document in the post.
There is a security argument too: a controlled platform with one-time passwords and an audit trail is far harder to interfere with than a deed emailed as an attachment and posted back.
Is online conveyancing cheaper than a high-street solicitor?
Usually yes, for structural reasons rather than because the work is done to a lower standard. An online firm carries lower premises costs per file, lodges registrations at the cheaper electronic rate, and competes nationally rather than with the three firms on the same high street.
| Online conveyancing | Traditional high-street firm | |
|---|---|---|
| Choice of firm | Any firm in England and Wales | Limited to those you can reach |
| Legal work carried out | Identical – same searches, same enquiries, same regulatory duties | Identical |
| Fee basis | Usually fixed and quoted upfront | Fixed or hourly, depending on the firm |
| HM Land Registry fee | Electronic rate – around 55% lower | Higher if the firm lodges by post |
| Appointments | None required | Usually expected at least once |
| Contact | Email, phone, video call, case tracking | Mostly phone and in person |
| Speed | No postal or appointment delay | Postal turnaround at several stages |
What “cheaper” should not mean. A very low headline fee is often recovered elsewhere – supplements for leasehold or new build, referral fees inside the price, unitemised disbursements, or a call-centre model where nobody owns your file. Being online is also not the same as being unregulated: we are a firm of solicitors, SRA-regulated, CQS-accredited and fully insured, and you get one named conveyancer you can telephone directly.
How safe is online conveyancing?
Online conveyancing is as safe as the firm doing it, and there are specific, checkable things worth looking for. Property transactions are a standing target for fraud because large sums move on a known date, so this is a fair question to ask of any conveyancer.
- Cyber Essentials Plus. A UK government-backed certification, independently audited rather than self-assessed, covering how our systems are configured, patched and protected. It is the credential most directly relevant to handing a firm your documents and your money electronically.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority regulation. Your money sits in a client account governed by the SRA Accounts Rules, separate from the firm’s own funds, and the SRA Compensation Fund stands behind regulated firms. That protection does not apply to unregulated conveyancing businesses.
- CQS accreditation. The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme sets required standards for running residential files, including fraud and identity checks, and lenders use it as a panel criterion.
- Lexcel accreditation for practice management and risk, full professional indemnity insurance, and digital identity verification on every client.
The one risk worth knowing about is the one that costs people their deposit. Friday-afternoon fraud works by intercepting email between you and your solicitor and sending fresh bank details shortly before completion. It is convincing and it is common.
We will never email you new bank details, and we will never ask you to send money to an account you have not verified with us by phone. If you get an email that appears to be from us changing where funds should go, do not reply and do not use any number in it – call 01636 600656 on a number you already have. See our guide to staying safe with online conveyancing.
Which property transactions can we handle online?
All of them. Online conveyancing is not a cut-down service – it is how we run residential property work generally.
| Transaction | What we do | More detail |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Full purchase conveyancing: title, searches, enquiries, mortgage, SDLT and registration | Get a purchase quote |
| Selling a home | Contract pack, enquiries, redemption of your mortgage, completion | Get a sale quote |
| Remortgaging | Discharging the old charge and registering the new one, often without searches | Remortgage solicitors |
| Adding or removing a name | Deed of transfer, lender consent, and an SDLT return where a mortgage share is taken on | Transfer of equity |
| Buy-to-let and portfolio purchases | Landlord purchases, company purchases, tenanted properties | Buy to let solicitors |
| Shared ownership and staircasing | Purchases from housing associations and increasing your share | Shared ownership |
| Help to Buy | Purchases using the scheme, and redeeming an equity loan | Help to Buy |
| Equity release | Lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans, which carry their own advice requirements | Equity release |
If you would prefer a named local office, we also act across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and further afield.
Why choose Bird & Co for online conveyancing
- A fixed legal fee, quoted before you instruct us – not an estimate, and not a figure that moves when the file takes longer.
- One named conveyancer with a direct phone number and email address, plus online case tracking. No call centre, and you never explain your transaction twice.
- On the approved panel for all major mortgage lenders, so you are not paying two firms to do one job.
- CQS and Lexcel accredited by the Law Society, Cyber Essentials Plus certified, SRA-regulated and fully insured.
- Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 1,120 reviews.
- Decades of residential property experience – leasehold, new build, unregistered title, shared ownership and landlord work – on property throughout England and Wales, for clients anywhere in the world.
Frequently asked questions
Are online conveyancing solicitors any good?
That depends on the firm, not on whether it works online. Check the same five things either way: is it a firm of solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, is it CQS-accredited, is it on your lender’s panel, will one named person handle your file, and is the fee fixed and itemised. Bird & Co meets all five and is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 1,120 reviews.
Are online conveyancers cheaper?
Usually, yes. Lower premises costs, electronic lodgement at HM Land Registry – around 55% cheaper than lodging by post – and national rather than local competition all push the price down, and the legal work is identical. Be careful comparing headline figures, though: check whether the fee is genuinely fixed, whether disbursements are itemised with real numbers, and whether supplements apply for leasehold or new build.
Do I need to meet my conveyancer in person?
No. Every stage of a residential property transaction can be handled remotely, including identity verification and signing. We act on property in England and Wales for clients living anywhere in the world. If you would rather come in, our Newark, Grantham and Lincoln offices are open and it makes no difference to the fee.
Can I sign the transfer deed electronically?
Yes. HM Land Registry accepts conveyancer-certified electronic signatures, where a witness must be physically present while you sign through a controlled platform using a one-time password, and – since 1 June 2026 – Qualified Electronic Signatures for any registrable disposition, which need no witness. In practice both sides’ solicitors must be set up for it, so a paper deed is sometimes still quicker.
How much does online conveyancing cost?
We give you a fixed legal fee before you instruct us, plus itemised third-party costs: your search pack, the HM Land Registry fee (from £20 for electronic lodgement), official copies of the title, Stamp Duty, a bank transfer fee, and lease charges if the property is a flat. Our instant online quote gives the exact figure in a couple of minutes.
Is it safe to send money and documents online?
Yes, with a regulated firm and sensible precautions. We hold Cyber Essentials Plus certification, your money sits in a client account governed by the SRA Accounts Rules, and identity is verified digitally with anti-fraud checks built in. One rule matters above all: we will never email you new bank details, so if you get a message that appears to be from us changing where funds should go, call 01636 600656 on a number you already have.
Speak to our online conveyancing solicitors now
Get a fixed-fee quote in minutes, or talk it through with someone who does this every day.
- Get an instant conveyancing quote →
- Call our conveyancing quote line on 01636 600656
- Email enquiries@birdandco.co.uk, or send us an enquiry and we will come back to you
- Or call your nearest office: Newark 01636 650880 Grantham 01476 591711 · Lincoln 01522 803050
Online conveyancing is how we run our full conveyancing service – buying, selling, remortgaging, transfers of equity and buy-to-let across England and Wales.
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