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Solicitors for Buying & Selling a House in Cheshire

At Cullimore Dutton, our experienced solicitors make buying or selling your home as smooth and stress-free as possible. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, moving up the ladder, or managing a complex leasehold transaction, we guide you through every step.

Selling a Property

Freehold Sales

When you sell a freehold property with us, we will:

  • Verify your identity (as required by anti-money laundering rules)
  • Obtain your title deeds and prepare the draft contract of sale
  • Request property information and fixtures/fittings forms from you
  • Send draft contracts, title documents, and information to the buyer’s solicitor
  • Respond to the buyer’s solicitor’s enquiries
  • Exchange contracts and agree a completion date
  • Approve the transfer deed and resolve any final legal issues
  • Prepare a detailed completion statement
  • Complete the sale, redeem any mortgage, and pay your estate agent

Leasehold Sales

In addition to the steps above, we will also:

  • Liaise with the freeholder or management company
  • Provide the buyer with leasehold documentation and handle related enquiries

Buying a Property

Freehold Purchases

  • When you purchase a freehold property with us, we will:
  • Verify your identity (anti-money laundering compliance)
  • Review contract documents from the seller’s solicitor
  • Carry out searches on the property and surrounding area
  • Raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitor
  • Review and explain your mortgage offer
  • Report to you on the legal title and highlight any key issues
  • Exchange contracts and agree a completion date
  • Prepare the Transfer Deed and Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) return
  • Complete the purchase, pay SDLT, and register your ownership with the Land Registry

Leasehold Purchases

In addition to the above, we will also:

  • Review and report on lease terms, obligations, and restrictions
  • Liaise with the freeholder or management company where needed
  • Ensure service charges, ground rent, and other leasehold matters are correctly handled

FAQs

On average, a straightforward transaction takes between 8–12 weeks. Timescales depend on factors such as the length of the chain, mortgage approval, and responses to enquiries. We will keep you updated throughout.

Disbursements are third-party costs paid on your behalf, such as Land Registry fees, searches, and Stamp Duty Land Tax. We provide a clear breakdown of all costs at the outset, so there are no hidden surprises.

This depends on the purchase price of the property, whether it is your first home, a second property, or an investment. We will calculate the correct SDLT and submit the return on your behalf.

On completion, purchase funds are transferred, keys are released, and you can move into your new property. If you are selling, any existing mortgage will be redeemed and sale proceeds transferred to you.

Yes. Our team regularly deals with a wide range of transactions, including those involving multiple parties, leasehold issues, trusts, and investment structures.

Not at all. We act for clients across England and Wales and can handle everything by phone, email, and post.

Key Contact

Stuart Hill

Stuart Hill

Property Transaction Specialist
Legal Director

Stuart Hill

Stuart Hill is a Legal Director in Cullimore Dutton’s Residential Property team, with over 20 years’ experience in residential property work. He deals with a wide range of property matters, including houses, flats and shared ownership properties, supporting clients through transactions where clear communication and steady progress are especially important.

For clients buying or selling a home, Stuart helps manage the legal steps involved from contract papers and title checks through to exchange and completion. His experience allows him to identify issues early, explain what they mean in plain English, and help clients move through the sale or purchase process with greater clarity and confidence.

Specialisms: Property

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Contact our Solicitors for Home Buying & Selling Today

When you are buying or selling a home, much of the stress comes from not knowing whether everything is happening when it should. You may be waiting for contract papers, searches, mortgage documents, replies to enquiries, leasehold information or confirmation that exchange can go ahead. Even where a transaction looks straightforward, there are important legal steps that need careful attention to make sure nothing significant is missed.

That is where experienced conveyancing support can make a real difference. As an established law firm in Cheshire, with a history dating back to 1792, Cullimore Dutton helps clients understand what is happening at each stage of the transaction and what issues may need to be resolved before completion. We deal with freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, explain matters in plain English, and work to keep the process as smooth and well-managed as possible.

From our offices in Chester & Knutsford, we regularly act as home buying solicitors in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Prestbury, Bowdon, Hale, and beyond. Whether you are stepping onto the property ladder for the first time, moving house, or managing a more complex property transaction, our team is here to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

If you are planning to buy or sell a house, please get in touch with our conveyancing team. Call us, email us, or fill out the enquiry form at the bottom of the page, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.