{
  "licence": "CC BY 4.0, cite Payotte (https://payotte.com/uk/by-nation) with a link",
  "topic": "conveyancing-system",
  "extracted": "2026-10-14",
  "nations": {
    "england": {
      "binding_point": "Exchange of contracts",
      "professionals": "Solicitor, licensed conveyancer or CILEx practitioner",
      "registry": "HM Land Registry",
      "answer": "In England, you are legally bound to buy only at exchange of contracts; until then an offer is not binding on either side. A solicitor, licensed conveyancer or CILEx practitioner does the legal work, and the change of ownership is registered with HM Land Registry.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Buying a home: Transferring ownership (conveyancing) (GOV.UK)",
          "url": "https://www.gov.uk/buying-a-home/transferring-ownership"
        },
        {
          "title": "How to buy a home (MHCLG guide, 2019, GOV.UK)",
          "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-buy-a-home/how-to-buy"
        },
        {
          "title": "HM Land Registry registration services fees (GOV.UK)",
          "url": "https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees"
        }
      ]
    },
    "scotland": {
      "binding_point": "Concluded missives (the concluding missive is a binding contract)",
      "professionals": "Solicitor (sends the offer, handles missives, title checks and settlement)",
      "registry": "Land Register (Registers of Scotland)",
      "answer": "In Scotland, there is no exchange of contracts: the contract becomes binding when the missives are concluded, and the offer must be sent as a letter from your solicitor. A solicitor handles the whole legal process, and ownership is recorded in the Land Register.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Missives (mygov.scot)",
          "url": "https://www.mygov.scot/sell-home/missives"
        },
        {
          "title": "Conveyancing (mygov.scot)",
          "url": "https://www.mygov.scot/buy-home/conveyancing"
        },
        {
          "title": "Settlement (mygov.scot)",
          "url": "https://www.mygov.scot/buy-home/settlement"
        }
      ]
    },
    "wales": {
      "binding_point": "Exchange of contracts",
      "professionals": "Solicitor, licensed conveyancer or CILEx practitioner",
      "registry": "HM Land Registry",
      "answer": "In Wales, as in England, you are legally bound to buy only at exchange of contracts. The guides say the process and the choice of solicitor, licensed conveyancer or CILEx practitioner are the same as in England; Wales has its own Land Transaction Tax.",
      "note": "Registry inferred from the England-and-Wales sequence in the England guide; no Wales-specific registry page.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Buying a home: Transferring ownership (conveyancing) (GOV.UK)",
          "url": "https://www.gov.uk/buying-a-home/transferring-ownership"
        },
        {
          "title": "How to buy a home (MHCLG guide, 2019, GOV.UK)",
          "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-buy-a-home/how-to-buy"
        },
        {
          "title": "How to buy a home (GOV.UK)",
          "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-buy-a-home/how-to-buy"
        }
      ]
    },
    "northern-ireland": {
      "binding_point": "Exchange of contracts",
      "professionals": "Solicitor (regulated by the Law Society of Northern Ireland)",
      "registry": "Land Registry (and Registry of Deeds for unregistered land), run by Land & Property Services",
      "answer": "In Northern Ireland, nidirect says the sale becomes legally binding at exchange of contracts, with a deposit of at least five per cent usually paid then. A solicitor does the legal work, and ownership is recorded in the Land Registry or, for unregistered land, the Registry of Deeds.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Buying a home - step-by-step guide (nidirect)",
          "url": "https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/buying-home-step-step-guide"
        },
        {
          "title": "Consumer guide to buying and selling residential property (Law Society of Northern Ireland)",
          "url": "https://lawsoc-ni.org/assets/general/files/Final-Conveyancing-Consumer-leaflet_Non-Conference.pdf"
        },
        {
          "title": "Solicitors guide to Compulsory First Registration (Department of Finance)",
          "url": "https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/articles/solicitors-guide-compulsory-first-registration"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}