## Why auction legal review is different
At auction, exchange usually happens when the hammer falls or when the online bid is accepted. That makes pre-bid legal review part of underwriting. HM Land Registry's public [property ownership guidance](https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry) helps investors understand title checks, but a solicitor must read the pack and advise on the actual documents.
Tax and completion cash also matter. For England and Northern Ireland, use the official [SDLT calculator](https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/) before bidding so cash to complete is not guessed.
## What the solicitor should check
Ask for a short risk note on title, tenure, lease length, easements, restrictions, planning, building control, searches, special conditions, rent arrears, service charge, seller costs, and completion deadline. If the pack says the buyer pays unusual seller fees, those fees belong in the model.
For leasehold stock, ask whether the lease length, ground rent, and service charge will affect lending or resale. For mixed-use or commercial stock, ask whether the use and lease terms match the business plan.
## How to connect legal risk to price
Legal risk is not only a yes/no issue. It can change offer price. If the pack shows a short lease, missing consents, rent arrears, or a tight completion deadline, add the cost, time, and finance effect to the deal model.
Example: a 5,000 unexpected seller-cost clause plus a 2,000 legal and search allowance reduces your safe bid by at least 7,000 before you even consider risk margin. The right response is a lower bid or no bid, not a hopeful note in the pack.
## Better habit
Send the solicitor the pack, your funding route, and your intended use. Then update Bricks & Yield with the legal costs and risks before auction day. The aim is simple: bid only when the legal pack and the numbers tell the same story.
## What to save in the model
For this auction conveyancing solicitors: investor checks check, save the source links, date checked, calculator inputs, base case, downside case, professional question, and final pass or proceed decision in the deal notes. Also save who verified each assumption: broker, solicitor, council, insurer, accountant, or your own viewing notes. The article should not be the evidence itself. It is the checklist that tells you which evidence to collect, where to link it, and which calculator result changed the decision. For live deals, rerun the model whenever one assumption changes. If the answer changes, update the offer price before sharing the pack. Keep rejected assumptions visible too.