Fletcher Longstaff | The Home of Conveyancing Reviews 

Fletcher Longstaff: Award-Winning Residential Conveyancing Experts

Looking for the best conveyancing firm in England and Wales? Fletcher Longstaff is a team of licensed conveyancers regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), practice licence number 12262. We work from our office in Lincoln and act for buyers, sellers and homeowners across England and Wales.

Comparing conveyancing solicitors? You get fast, fixed-fee online conveyancing with no hidden costs and no call centres. Residential property is all we do.

Why clients choose Fletcher Longstaff

• Fixed fees. The legal fee in your quote stays the same, even if your transaction is delayed
• No Completion, No Fee. If your transaction falls through for any reason, you pay no legal fee
• A 100% UK-based team with no outsourcing and a dedicated contact for your case
• Online ID checks, digital forms and secure online payments, so you never need to visit an office
• A Client Portal and app to track your case at any time
• Professional indemnity insurance of up to £2 million

Award-winning conveyancers

• Clio Modern Law Awards 2026: Client Care Award
• Business Awards UK 2025: Best for Property Law
• ESTAS Conveyancer Awards 2017 and 2018: Gold and Best in County, voted for by clients
• LFS Conveyancing Awards 2017 and 2018: Winner

Solicitor panel for all major UK mortgage lenders

Your mortgage lender will only release funds to a firm on its approved panel. We are approved conveyancers on the solicitor panel for all major UK mortgage lenders, including NatWest, Nationwide, Halifax, Santander, Barclays, HSBC, TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland, Virgin Money, Skipton Building Society, Leeds Building Society, West Bromwich Building Society and Accord Mortgages. See every lender panel we are on.

Our conveyancing services

• Property purchases and sales
• Sale and purchase transactions
• First-time buyer conveyancing
• New build conveyancing
• Leasehold conveyancing
• Remortgages
• Transfer of equity
• Help to Buy equity loan redemptions

How it works

• Get a fixed-fee quote online and instruct us from the same page
• Complete your ID checks and forms on your phone or computer
• We handle the contract, searches, enquiries and your lender's requirements, and you follow progress in the portal
• We exchange contracts, complete, and register the property at the Land Registry

Get a fixed-fee online conveyancing quote today.

About Fletcher Longstaff

Who are Fletcher Longstaff?
Fletcher Longstaff is a residential conveyancing firm based in Lincoln. We act for people buying, selling and remortgaging homes across England and Wales. Our whole team works in the UK and we do not outsource any part of your case.

Is Fletcher Longstaff a legitimate conveyancing firm?
Yes. Fletcher Longstaff Limited is registered in England and Wales under company number 12605294. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers regulates us under practice licence number 12262, and you can check that licence on the CLC's public register.

Are Fletcher Longstaff solicitors or licensed conveyancers?
We are licensed conveyancers. Licensed conveyancers are property law specialists and do the same legal work a solicitor would on a sale, purchase or remortgage.

What is the difference between a conveyancing solicitor and a licensed conveyancer?
A solicitor qualifies across many areas of law and is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. A licensed conveyancer specialises in property law and is regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Both can carry out the legal work on a sale, purchase or remortgage.

Is a local solicitor better for conveyancing?
Not necessarily. Many people search for "conveyancing solicitors near me", but your conveyancer does not need to be near you or the property. We handle every case online, with digital ID checks, digital forms and a portal that shows you where your case is.

Do you cover the whole of the UK?
We cover every part of England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems, so we do not act on properties there.

What awards have Fletcher Longstaff won?
We won the Client Care Award at the Clio Modern Law Awards 2026 and Best for Property Law at the Business Awards UK 2025. Clients also voted us Gold and Best in County winners at the ESTAS Conveyancer Awards, and we won at the LFS Conveyancing Awards in 2017 and 2018.

Is my money protected?
Yes. We hold professional indemnity insurance of up to £2 million, and the CLC sets strict rules on how we hold client money.

Is online conveyancing safe?
Yes. Conveyancing fraud usually involves a fake email with new bank details. Use the bank details checker on our website before you send any money, and phone us on 01522 712352 if an email asks you to pay a different account.

Mortgage lender panels

Are you on my mortgage lender's solicitor panel?
We are on the conveyancing panel for all major UK mortgage lenders, including NatWest, Nationwide, Halifax, Santander, Barclays, HSBC, TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland, Virgin Money, Skipton, Leeds Building Society, West Bromwich and Accord. Check your lender.

What is a lender's solicitor panel?
A panel is the list of law firms a mortgage lender has approved to act for it. The lender needs a firm to check the property is good security for the loan and to register its mortgage at the Land Registry. A panel firm does that work for the lender while acting for you.

Do mortgage lenders accept licensed conveyancers instead of solicitors?
Yes. Lenders call their approved list a solicitor panel, and the panel includes licensed conveyancers.

What happens if my conveyancer is not on my lender's panel?
The lender appoints its own firm and you pay that firm's fees on top of your own conveyancer's. It also adds another party to the transaction, which slows things down. Choosing a panel firm from the start avoids both problems.

Costs and our guarantee

How much does conveyancing cost?
We charge a fixed fee based on the property price and the type of transaction. Your quote lists our legal fee and the third-party costs, such as searches and Land Registry fees. Get a quote online.

Will my fee go up if the transaction takes longer?
No. Our legal fee stays the same if your transaction is delayed.

What does No Completion, No Fee mean?
If your transaction does not complete, for any reason, we do not charge our legal fee. A sale or purchase can fall through because of a survey result, a broken chain or a change of mind, and the guarantee covers all of them.

Do you deal with Stamp Duty?
Yes. We calculate the Stamp Duty Land Tax due on a purchase in England, or Land Transaction Tax in Wales. We then file the return and pay the tax for you from the completion funds.

The conveyancing process

When should I instruct a conveyancer?
Instruct us as soon as your offer is accepted, or earlier. If you instruct before you find a property or a buyer, your ID checks and paperwork are already done when the estate agent sends out the sale details.

How long does conveyancing take?
Conveyancing typically takes 8 to 12 weeks. The length of the chain, search turnaround times and your mortgage offer all affect the timeline.

What can delay conveyancing?
Slow replies to enquiries, a long chain, a late mortgage offer, search backlogs at the local authority and missing leasehold management packs cause most delays. We chase the other parties and tell you what we are waiting for.

What are the stages of buying a house?
You instruct us and complete your ID checks. We receive the contract pack from the seller's conveyancer, order searches and raise enquiries. Once your mortgage offer arrives and the enquiries are answered, we report to you, you sign, and we exchange contracts. On completion day we send the money and you collect the keys.

What is the difference between exchange and completion?
Exchange of contracts makes the deal legally binding and fixes the completion date. The buyer pays a deposit at that point, usually 10% of the price. Completion is the day the rest of the money transfers and the property changes hands.

What are property searches?
Searches are checks with the local authority, the water company and environmental data providers. They show planning history, drainage connections, flood risk and anything else that could affect the property or its value. Mortgage lenders require them.

Do I need a survey as well as a conveyancer?
A survey is separate from conveyancing and we recommend one. Your lender's valuation only confirms the property is worth the loan. A surveyor inspects the condition of the building, and we can raise anything the survey finds with the seller's conveyancer.

What ID and documents do I need?
You need photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence, and proof of your address. Buyers also show where their deposit came from, with bank statements or a gift letter, because the law requires us to check the source of funds.

How will I know what is happening with my case?
You can log in to our Client Portal or app at any time to see your progress and upload documents. You also have a dedicated contact who you can phone or email.

Do I need to visit your office?
No. We verify your identity online, send forms for you to complete digitally and take payments online. Where a document needs a signature on paper, we send a stamped return envelope.

Can I switch conveyancer or solicitor part way through?
Yes. You can change firm at any point before exchange of contracts. Instruct us, and we request your file from the previous firm and pick the case up from where it stands.

Buying a property

Can I use Fletcher Longstaff as a first-time buyer?
Yes. We explain each step in plain English and work with your lender and mortgage broker. If you have a Lifetime ISA or a gifted deposit, we deal with the paperwork your lender and the ISA provider need.

Do first-time buyers pay Stamp Duty?
First-time buyer relief reduces or removes Stamp Duty on homes up to a set price. We check whether you qualify, calculate the tax and file the return.

Do you handle new build conveyancing?
Yes. Developers usually set a deadline to exchange contracts, often 28 days from reservation, so new build purchases need a conveyancer who moves quickly. We also check the planning permissions, the new home warranty and the estate's management arrangements.

What is a long stop date on a new build?
A new build contract often has no fixed completion date because the home is still being built. The long stop date is the final deadline for the developer to finish. If the developer misses it, you can withdraw and get your deposit back.

Do you offer leasehold conveyancing?
Yes. Leasehold transactions involve the freeholder or managing agent, ground rent, service charges and the length of the lease. We review the lease and the management pack and report anything that could affect your mortgage or resale.

How long does a lease need to be to get a mortgage?
Each mortgage lender sets a minimum number of years that must remain on the lease. We check the lease against your lender's requirements and tell you early if the term is a problem.

When do I need buildings insurance?
For a freehold house, arrange buildings insurance to start on the day of exchange. Under most contracts the buyer carries the risk from that point, and your lender will expect cover to be in place.

Selling a property

What do I need to sell my house?
You need proof of ID, a completed property information form and a fittings and contents form. Sellers of leasehold property also complete a leasehold information form. We obtain your title documents from the Land Registry and prepare the contract pack for the buyer's conveyancer.

Do I need an EPC to sell?
Yes. A property needs a valid Energy Performance Certificate before it goes on the market. Your estate agent can arrange one, and a certificate lasts 10 years.

What happens to my mortgage when I sell?
We ask your lender for a redemption statement before completion. On the day, we repay the mortgage in full from the sale money.

When do I get the money from my house sale?
On completion day. Once the buyer's funds arrive, we repay your mortgage, pay your estate agent and transfer the balance to your bank account.

Can you act on my sale and purchase together?
Yes. Using one firm for both means one team coordinates your exchange and completion dates, so the two transactions happen on the same day.

Remortgage, transfer of equity and Help to Buy

Do I need a conveyancer or solicitor to remortgage?
You do if you are moving to a new lender. We repay your existing mortgage, register the new one at the Land Registry and act for the new lender as a panel firm.

Do I need a conveyancer for a product transfer?
No. A product transfer keeps you with your current lender, so there is no legal work. You need a conveyancer when you move to a new lender or change who owns the property.

What is a transfer of equity?
A transfer of equity adds someone to the title of a property or removes them from it, for example after a marriage or a separation. We prepare the transfer, obtain your lender's consent if there is a mortgage and register the change.

Do I pay Stamp Duty on a transfer of equity?
Sometimes. Stamp Duty can apply when the person joining the title pays for their share or takes on part of the mortgage. Transfers on divorce or the end of a civil partnership are exempt. We work out whether tax is due before you commit.

Can you redeem my Help to Buy equity loan?
Yes. You need a valuation from a RICS surveyor, and we deal with the Help to Buy agent, repay the loan and remove the charge from your title. We can do this on its own or as part of a sale or remortgage.

Can I repay part of my Help to Buy loan?
Yes. You can repay part of the loan, with a minimum payment of 10% of your home's current value. A part repayment needs the same RICS valuation, and we handle the legal work.