PEOPLE using estate agents and conveyancers are not clear about the difference between the services, a survey has revealed.

A poll commissioned by the Council for National Land Information Service found the public are uninformed about many areas of the housing market.

Nearly one in five people think estate agents carry out conveyancing and the majority of homeowners do not know what they are paying for in a property search.

People are also unsure what they are paying for when they commission conveyancers to carry out local searches and a further eight per cent think homeowners carry out the task themselves.

And although it is less than six months until the packs will be mandatory, 37 per cent of homeowners are still unaware of Home Information Packs. There is also confusion over who will foot the bill, with 15 per cent of people believing estate agents and 29 per cent believing buyers will have to pay.

More than half of the respondents do not know what the current Bank of England base interest rate is, despite it recently increasing twice.

Here are a few things you should know about the services involved with buying or selling a house:

Estate agents

The agent works for the seller, not the buyer because sellers pay the commission. They guide sellers through the selling process.

Agents are responsible for giving an idea of how much you can sell your home for and possibly make suggestions on how you can improve the value.

Writing a description of your home, the photography and advertising the property - in agent's window, for sale boards, in the local paper, and on the internet - are also part of the role.

The also handle viewings and negotiate a deal. Agents must inform sellers of all offers in writing, even if a price has been accepted.

Conveyancers

Licensed conveyancers are specialist professional property lawyers, who are trained and qualified in all aspects of dealing with the law in regards to property.

The ownership transfer of a house, plot of land, or an apartment from one person, or entity, to another party is known as conveyancing. Conveyancers also deal with covenants, which are the rules and regulations governing the property, contained in its title deeds or lease. The conveyancer may act in transfers for the buyers, sellers and mortgage lenders.

A licensed conveyancer's responsibility extends to the arranging of mortgages and re-mortgages and they can also offer mortgage advice to the potential purchaser.

Chartered surveyor

They are responsible for carrying out a full inspection of the property, called a building survey, and then compiling a detailed report including any property defects.

Suitable for any house, particularly older properties and those which have been poorly maintained. Surveys should be carried out for homes which have been extensively altered or extended or property you wish to alter or extend.