Exterior view of the Ellis-Fermor & Negus solicitors office featuring the firm's signage and a car park in the East Midlands

Selling a Property

Selling a Property with Ellis-Fermor & Negus

Practical legal support to help keep your sale moving. Selling a property can quickly become stressful, particularly once the initial excitement of accepting an offer wears off.

Many sellers feel frustrated by:

Poor communication
Long periods with little visible progress
Delays that are difficult to explain
Unexpected legal or survey issues
Pressure from chains and moving deadlines
Uncertainty about when exchange or completion will happen

At Ellis-Fermor & Negus, we help you stay informed throughout the transaction so you understand:

what is happening;
what is still outstanding;
what decisions may need to be made; and
what could affect your timescales.

Our role is to manage the legal side of your sale efficiently while helping reduce uncertainty and avoid unnecessary delays.

Have a question? Jump to our FAQs ↓

A woman signing in at a reception desk while another woman speaks on the phone in a solicitors' office.

Make a Free Enquiry Today

0115 972 5222 (Long Eaton)

0115 896 3390 (West Bridgford)

0115 922 1591 (Beeston)

01773 821665 (Belper)

01773 744744 (Ripley)

infomation@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Portrait of a solicitor in a suit with a blue tie, representing legal services at Ellis-Fermor & Negus in the East Midlands.

I’m so pleased with the efficient service that Robert and his team provided me In my house sale. Would recommend 10/10 and will be back when I purchase my forever home. Thanks Robert

Robert Meredith

Director and Head of Residential Property

Talk to our team

Why choose Ellis-Fermor & Negus?

Direct Access to the conveyancer handling your transaction – no call centres.

Longstanding relationships with estate agents and property professionals across the region, helping us to maintain momentum and reduce delays.

Part of a full-service law firm, giving clients access to specialist advice in other areas of law where required or appropriate.

Thousands of residential property transactions completed every year.

Regular updates throughout your matter, so you’re not left wondering what is happening next.

Speak to our team today to explore your options with no obligation

Meet the team

We hope you will find the team at Ellis-Fermor & Negus Solicitors friendly, helpful and approachable.

Robert Meredith

Rob is a Director and Head of our Residential Conveyancing Department and has over 12 years’ experience in Residential Conveyancing work. Rob has been working in the area since he qualified and has helped thousands of families and individuals with their property needs. Rob qualified as a Solicitor in September 2006, having originally been born…

01159 725 222

r.meredith@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Robert Meredith is based at our Long Eaton Office.

View profile

Smiling male solicitor in a navy sweater, representing an East Midlands law firm providing legal services

Giles Tyas

Giles is a Director and Head of the Residential Conveyancing Team at our Belper Office. Giles has over 10 years’ experience in Residential Conveyancing. Giles was born in Kent and attended at St Lawrence College before studying Law at the University of Plymouth and then completing his postgraduate studies at the University of Exeter. Giles…

01773 821 665

g.tyas@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Giles Tyas is based at our Belper Office.

View profile

Emma Mrvik

Moving home can be a stressful time, Emma provides a friendly service to make this time as stress-free as possible. Emma is Head of our Conveyancing Department at our Beeston office.

01159 221 591

e.mrvik@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Emma Mrvik is based at our Beeston Office.

View profile

Claire Ryland

Claire qualified as a Solicitor in September 2015 after studying Law and Criminology LLB and the Legal Practice Course (PgDip) at the University of Sheffield. She completed her Training Contract at this firm and has completed several professional development courses in the areas of Property Law and Client Care. Claire represents a wide range of…

0115 972 5222

claire.ryland@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Claire Ryland is based at our Long Eaton Office.

View profile

Sonja Kelly

Sonja qualified as a Solicitor in 1999 after studying Law and undertaking a Legal Practice Course at the University of Sheffield. Since qualification Sonja has worked primarily in Residential Conveyancing, with a short spell mixing this with Wills & Probate during her early career. Sonja has worked as a Residential Conveyancer for almost 20 years…

01773 744 744

sonja.kelly@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Sonja Kelly is based at our Ripley Office.

View profile

Jane Warren

Jane Warren is an experienced Conveyancer with over 30 years experience in the sector. Jane joined Ellis-Fermor & Negus in November 2018 to work in our growing Residential Conveyancing department. Jane began working in Residential Conveyancing in Beeston in 1988 and went on to qualify as a Legal Executive in 1998. Over the years, Jane…

01156 977 254

j.warren@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Jane Warren is based at our Long Eaton Office.

View profile

Rachel Brooking

Rachel is a Conveyancer currently studying towards the Licensed Conveyancing module accredited by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers. Rachel has 11 years’ experience in the legal sector with 9 years’ particular experience in Conveyancing. Prior to this Rachel has many years of experience working in different areas of Customer Services. Rachel joined the Residential Conveyancing…

01773 744 744

rachel.Brooking@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Rachel Brooking is based at our Ripley Office.

View profile

Kellie Bilbie

Kellie is an experienced Conveyancer in our Residential Conveyancing Department. Kellie qualified as a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in 2012. After leaving school and originally working for a house builder in the Nottingham area, in 1999 she came to work for a Solicitor in West Bridgford, Nottingham where she began her…

0115 9725 222

kellie.bilbie@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Kellie Bilbie is based at our Long Eaton Office.

View profile

Friendly and approachable solicitor from Ellis-Fermor & Negus, offering legal advice in the East Midlands.

Lauren West

Lauren is a Residential Conveyancer with over 10 years’ experience working in both Private Client Services and Residential Conveyancing. She is based in the West Bridgford office having joined the firm in February 2025. Since graduating from the University of Lincoln in 2013, Lauren was originally based in the thriving City of Lincoln initially working…

0115 896 3390

lauren.west@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Lauren West is based at our West Bridgford Office.

View profile

Joanna Merriman

Joanna started working as a paralegal within a large national firm in Nottingham after studying a BA in Economics and Law at Leicester University. She went on to qualify into Commercial Property in 2013 after completing the Legal Practice Course part time whilst working as a Litigation Executive. In 2014 she realised that her heart…

0115 972 5222

joanna.merriman@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Joanna Merriman is based at our Long Eaton Office.

View profile

Portrait of a female solicitor from Ellis-Fermor & Negus, showcasing approachable legal advice in the East Midlands

Bethan Duckworth

Bethan Duckworth joined our Belper Residential Property team in July 2023 as a Conveyancer. Bethan has worked in the Residential Property sector for over 5 years and is currently part way through her studies towards the Licensed Conveyancing Module accredited by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers. Bethan hopes to complete her qualification over the next…

01773 821 665

bethan.duckworth@ellis-fermor.co.uk

Bethan Duckworth is based at our Belper Office.

View profile

Solicitors discussing legal matters during a consultation at Ellis-Fermor & Negus in Beeston

Reviews, what our clients are saying…

‘To say that Robert Meredith and Jayne Gregory at Ellis-Fermor & Negus are a couple of legends is an understatement! We are so grateful for all of their hard work, professionalism and communication. They helped us to sell our house and secure our forever home. Nothing was ever too much trouble and they kept us up to date every step of the way, turning round work very efficiently. We would 100% recommend Ellis-Fermor and their team. We will certainly be back for any future requirements.’

‘This will be the second time I have instructed Ellis-Fermor and Negus with moving home. This time I experienced a lot of stress from my buyers which made the sale go on for a very very long time. Jane Warren and her team at Ellis-Fermor and Negus were with me every step of the way, keeping me updated with everything that was going on. Not only through email but also calling to update as well. They work so hard to ensure you get the results you want and need. I am forever grateful for all that Jane and her team have done! I would 100% recommend using Ellis-Fermor and Negus.’

‘We engaged Bethan Duckworth at the Belper office to carry out our conveyancing requirements and found she was outstanding. The professionalism, efficiency, thoroughness, communication and friendly manner were above and beyond any service I have ever received in these matters before. She was always available and responded to email and phone calls, if not immediately, then later on that day. I would definitely recommend to anyone’

‘We had Sonja Kelly dealing with our conveyancing. Sonja and her team were amazing throughout our conveyancing process. Everything was handled smoothly and efficiently. All questions were answered very time efficiently and they were always available whenever we called to give us an update. Would definitely recommend them.’

‘I’ve dealt with Rob and the team now for conveyancing for around 10 years on several properties. They are professional and deliver on what they promise. I can’t recommend this team enough and fantastic in every single way.’

Frequently Asked Questions

Most sales take between 8 and 12 weeks, but this can vary depending on the buyer, the chain, and how quickly enquiries are resolved.

If the buyer is ready to proceed and there are no complications, the process can move more quickly. However, where multiple transactions are linked together, delays in one part of the chain can affect everyone involved.

Delays are often caused by factors outside your control.

Common reasons include:

The buyer’s mortgage taking time to be approved
Slow responses from the buyer’s solicitor
Issues raised during enquiries
Delays elsewhere in the chain

In some cases, delays occur simply because information is not available straight away and needs to be obtained from third parties.

You can instruct a solicitor as soon as you decide to sell, even before accepting an offer.

This allows the contract pack to be prepared early so that it can be issued promptly once a buyer is found, helping avoid delays at the start of the process.

Yes, you can withdraw from the sale at any point before exchange of contracts.

After exchange, the transaction becomes legally binding. If you do not complete after that point, you may face financial consequences, including claims from the buyer.

If the buyer withdraws before exchange of contracts, the transaction will end.

This can be frustrating, particularly if time and costs have already been incurred, but it is a risk that exists until contracts are exchanged.

Exchange of contracts is the point where both parties are legally committed to complete the transaction.

At this stage:

The completion date is fixed
The buyer pays a deposit
Neither party can withdraw without consequences

This is one of the most important milestones in the sale process.

Yes. Any information you provide about the property forms part of the legal transaction.

If incorrect or misleading information is given, the buyer may have a legal claim against you after completion. It is important to answer questions accurately, even if the answer is “not known”.

On completion day, the buyer’s solicitor transfers the purchase funds.

Once the funds are received:

The sale completes
Ownership transfers to the buyer
You must vacate the property
Keys are released via the estate agent

You should ensure that the property is left as agreed in the contract.

You will receive the remaining sale proceeds after all deductions have been made.

These deductions may include:

Mortgage repayment
Estate agent fees
Legal costs

The balance is usually transferred to you on the day of completion.

Your mortgage must be repaid in full on completion.

This is done using the sale proceeds. Your solicitor will obtain a redemption figure from your lender and arrange repayment so that the buyer receives the property free of the mortgage.

If the amount required to repay your mortgage is higher than the sale price, you will need to pay the shortfall.

This is sometimes referred to as negative equity. The transaction cannot complete unless the mortgage can be fully repaid.

Yes. If the buyer’s survey or enquiries reveal issues, they may ask to renegotiate the price.

You are not obliged to agree, but if a revised price is accepted, the legal documents will need to be updated to reflect the change.

Yes. Unless otherwise agreed, the property should be vacant on completion and cleared of all items not included in the sale.

Leaving unwanted items behind can cause disputes and delay the handover.

A property chain is a series of linked transactions where each buyer is also selling a property.

Chains can affect timing because all transactions need to complete together. If one transaction is delayed, it can impact the rest of the chain.

You can discuss preferred dates with the buyer, but the completion date is only fixed when contracts are exchanged.

Until then, the date can change depending on how the transaction progresses.

If anything changes after exchange of contracts — for example, damage to the property — you should inform your solicitor immediately.

There may be legal obligations to deal with the issue before completion takes place.

Yes. A solicitor handles the legal transfer of ownership, prepares the contract documentation, and ensures that the buyer receives a valid legal title.

Without proper legal work, the transaction cannot complete.

Contact Us

If you are selling a property and want to understand what is happening at each stage — and what is still outstanding — we can help you move things forward.

Phone:

0115 972 5222 (Long Eaton)

0115 922 1591 (Beeston)

0115 896 3390 (West Bridgford)

01773 821665 (Belper)

01773 744744 (Ripley)

Contact form: https://www.ellis-fermor.co.uk/contact-us/

Speak to us without obligation

Enquire today

Selling a Property