Why not instructing a fixed fee conveyancing solicitor through CMS today. Our helpful and friendly staff will give you full contact details of your chosen conveyancing firm immediately. Then you can relax as CMS will keep you fully informed throughout.

CMS provide you with a cheap fixed fee transparent conveyancing quote that is easy to understand. All disbursements are listed and the total price for the conveyancing plus disbursements is added up for you. Thus you know exactly what go are going to pay. You will receive a selection of our best three competitive quotes including a local one (where we have a panel solicitor available).

CMS constantly monitor other conveyancing websites. We have found that the majority advertising unrealistically low fees from £120 or less charge extra for many items listed above (which CMS include for free). In particular most of them charge extra if you are obtaining a mortgage and this together with other extras can increase their quote by up to £200.

Always insist upon a fully comprehensive quote in writing and make sure you read the full Terms and Conditions - Frequently Asked Questions and Disbursements sections. If you wish CMS can run through these with you as part of our service.

Conveyancing is the legal process that transfers property from one owner to another. Your conveyancing will be carried out by a conveyancing specialist employed by one of the CMS panel solicitors/ licensed conveyancers. All of our panel firms are approved and regularly checked by CMS. All firms are members of the Law Society or Council for Licensed Conveyancers (you will find their contact details in our Links section) and all carry at least £1,000,000 worth of indemnity insurance for the protection of their clients. You can relax knowing that CMS have done all the hard work of checking solicitor credentials and service provision leaving you to get on with the business of moving house.

A Mortgage is a type of loan granted by a bank or a building society, usually known as the Lender or Mortgagor. The mortgage is usually granted for a long period, traditionally 25 years, and this period is known as the Mortgage Term. The Borrower, also known as the Mortgagee, offers his property as security for the loan. The Borrower signs a legal document, known as a Mortgage or Legal Charge, which then secures the property to the Lender for the period of the Mortgage. The Legal Charge is registered at the Land Registry and appears in the Charges Register of the owner's legal title. Quotes are cheap fixed fees.

Buying a house

• The first thing you must do is to instruct your conveyancing solicitor to begin work; you should do this as soon as you decide to buy a house to avoid delays later on. CMS makes this easy for you, simply obtain your choice of the lowest online conveyancing quotes from the CMS conveyancing web site and choose which one works best for you then simply click to instruct. Alternatively, telephone our customer services department on 0845 060 3355 and they will do everything for you.

• As soon as you accept a CMS conveyancing quote you will be given direct contact details for your conveyancing lawyer including name, address, telephone, fax and e mail. This information is also sent to you in a confirmatory e mail. You need to give this conveyancing information to your estate agent. The estate agent will then write to everyone confirming the sale and giving contact details for solicitors.

• The conveyancing solicitor will telephone you and will send you a client care letter and confirmatory estimate. Some conveyancing solicitors send the initial letter by e mail so make sure you check your e mail account. You will be asked to provide proof of identity (a legal requirement). You may be asked to sign and return one copy of the conveyancing client care letter to confirm that you want to go ahead. You will be asked to pay a sum of money up front; this will be used to pay for necessary conveyancing searches. If your purchase cannot proceed for whatever reason this money will be returned to you unless the conveyancing searches have already been done.

• Once your conveyancing solicitor has received the signed client care letter and search cheque they can start the conveyancing work. They will contact the conveyancing solicitor acting for your Seller and ask them to send a contract package. They will order the necessary searches.

• Once the contract package is received they will check the details carefully and raise any necessary enquiries. These are called preliminary enquiries. At this stage you may be sent a copy of the Property Information Form and a Fixtures and Fittings form.