Can I use a solicitor outside London for a London property?
Yes, you can use a solicitor outside London for a London property. Conveyancing does not have to happen locally. However, the solicitor must be able to work in the country where the property sits, which here means England and Wales. Your lender may also limit which firms you can choose, so check that before you decide.
The short answer
Buying or selling a London home does not require a London firm, as HomeOwners Alliance says there is no need to use a local conveyancing solicitor these days. However, the solicitor must be able to work where the property is, and as London sits in England, a firm that works in England and Wales can act. Two checks matter more than distance: find out whether your lender uses a panel of firms, and ask how the firm will handle the practical steps from afar. Our guide on whether you need a solicitor to buy a house covers the wider question.
Why location matters less
What counts is whether the solicitor can work in the country where your property stands. Therefore, note the full address of the property and which country it is in. Also note whether you are buying, selling or doing both, because that shapes the job. These details help the specialist judge the job before they reply.
This rule has one clear limit. Scotland has a different process, so a firm that works only in Scotland cannot handle a London sale or purchase. For a London property, you need a firm that can act in England and Wales.
Because location matters less, you have more choice. You can look at firms in other towns, not only those near the property or near your home. As a result, you can weigh up how a firm communicates and what it says about its work, rather than just the distance to its door.
Our conveyancing section gathers the guides on this topic in one place.
Your lender’s panel
If you use a mortgage, your lender may shape your choice more than geography does. HomeOwners Alliance says lenders generally work only with certain panel firms. A panel is a list of firms the lender is willing to deal with.
Choosing a firm off the panel may cost you more. HomeOwners Alliance says you may have to pay the lender’s representation fees, typically around 200 GBP. Therefore, ask your lender for its panel list before you contact any firm, whether the firm is in London or far from it.
While you check, note the name of the person at the lender who gave you the information. Then ask each firm you are considering whether it appears on that panel. Keep a note of each answer so you can compare firms later. Our guide to the cost of buying a house with a solicitor looks at how the costs fit together.
Who can do conveyancing
Citizens Advice says you have three options. You can use a solicitor. In England and Wales only, you can use a licensed conveyancer instead. Alternatively, you can do the conveyancing yourself, although Citizens Advice says that can be complicated.
A licensed conveyancer is regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers, not by the regulator of solicitors. Since the two professions answer to different regulators, check who regulates the firm you plan to use. Because the licensed conveyancer route applies in England and Wales only, it suits a London property but not one in Scotland.
If you are thinking of doing the work yourself, weigh up the time it would take and the risk of mistakes, because you would handle every step yourself.
Questions to ask a firm outside London
A firm far from the property can still do a good job. However, you should ask how the work will run, because you may never meet the people involved.
First, ask how the firm handles searches, which are the checks made on a property before you decide to buy it. So ask who orders them, how long they take and how the firm shares results.
Second, ask how documents get signed. A firm in another town may use post, email or an online system, so ask which it prefers and what you need to do. If you live abroad or far from the firm, say so at the start, since that may change how signing works.
Third, ask how the firm checks your identity. Ask what proof you must bring and whether you can send it in advance, since that avoids surprises later. Keep any original papers safe until the firm says exactly what it needs.
Fourth, ask who your contact is. A named person who answers your questions helps a lot when the work happens at a distance. Ask how quickly that person usually replies, and who covers when they are away. Do not expect a promise about speed, but do note the answer.
Finally, ask for the terms of work in writing, so you can compare firms on the same basis. Before you instruct any firm, use our check-a-solicitor page to confirm it is regulated.