Your solicitor is responsible for transferring the title deeds and that your new home is legally purchased, along with other admin tasks and searches. It is possible to do this yourself, but it is an extremely time-consuming process that requires the utmost attention to detail, so isn't recommended. Most people will employ a property solicitor to relieve the stress and allow them to have a smooth stress-free move.
The Process of Conveyancing and How it Works
1. Accepted Offer
After your offer is accepted, your estate agents will send over details about you (the buyer), the seller, the offer price and all of the other information that will be required. The quicker we get this, the faster we can start the process.
2. Getting to Work
Your solicitor will request your contract documents. In this file, it will list all of the details about the estate you are hoping to purchase, including all of the fixtures inside the building and which of these will be staying.
3. Searches
Having a building survey is essential when purchasing your new home, but searches on the local area and structure are also crucial.
Property surveyors are independent professionals that will assess the building’s structure. It is their responsibility to prevent you from finding any costly repairs that you might discover upon moving in! Surveyors will also inform your solicitor of any environmental searches they need to make.
4. Read through the Contracts
Your solicitor will receive the contracts from the sellers’ solicitor where they will read through them with a fine toothcomb to make sure everything is correct.
If anything does pop up in the contract, which your solicitor is concerned about, they will query this officially.
5. Search Results
All of the searches can take different amounts of time to complete. Some of the local searches can take as long as 7-10 days. Others, however, will be almost immediate.
6. The Mortgage Offer
We can’t stress the importance of having a structural examination carried out on your new home. The survey will inform you of so many elements of the building, whether it is safe, whether it needs substantial repairs and whether financially it is worth buying.
Often, you may want to change an offer after seeing the building report as it could uncover faults, meaning the initial offer may be a little optimistic.
Your legal professional will check the mortgage offer to make sure that the price is correct and all the conditions of the mortgage are as expected. You will then receive a letter explaining the mortgage offer in detail.
7. Signing the Documents
Once the searches are complete, it is now time to check all the documentation and sign. You will need to sign the contract, mortgage deed and stamp duty land tax. Your solicitor will inform you what money you owe, such as your deposit. You will also find out your search results and the offer of the mortgage.
8. The Chain
The chain can be known as a very frustrating stage of your buying process. If you're lucky, sometimes there isn't a chain at all. Other times, there could be up to 10 people in your chain. For you to move into your new home, the seller must complete as well, but they may need to wait for the people in the house they want to buy and so on.
9. Exchange Contracts
The exchange of contracts is for you and the seller to arrange a time and date that is convenient for you both. The solicitors will now exchange your contracts.
10. Completion
Usually, this happens around lunchtime on the agreed date. You can move once the sellers' solicitors confirm the receipt of money, and then you can collect your keys!
1. Accepted Offer
After your offer is accepted, your estate agents will send over details about you (the buyer), the seller, the offer price and all of the other information that will be required. The quicker we get this, the faster we can start the process.
2. Getting to Work
Your solicitor will request your contract documents. In this file, it will list all of the details about the estate you are hoping to purchase, including all of the fixtures inside the building and which of these will be staying.
3. Searches
Having a building survey is essential when purchasing your new home, but searches on the local area and structure are also crucial.
Property surveyors are independent professionals that will assess the building’s structure. It is their responsibility to prevent you from finding any costly repairs that you might discover upon moving in! Surveyors will also inform your solicitor of any environmental searches they need to make.
4. Read through the Contracts
Your solicitor will receive the contracts from the sellers’ solicitor where they will read through them with a fine toothcomb to make sure everything is correct.
If anything does pop up in the contract, which your solicitor is concerned about, they will query this officially.
5. Search Results
All of the searches can take different amounts of time to complete. Some of the local searches can take as long as 7-10 days. Others, however, will be almost immediate.
6. The Mortgage Offer
We can’t stress the importance of having a structural examination carried out on your new home. The survey will inform you of so many elements of the building, whether it is safe, whether it needs substantial repairs and whether financially it is worth buying.
Often, you may want to change an offer after seeing the building report as it could uncover faults, meaning the initial offer may be a little optimistic.
Your legal professional will check the mortgage offer to make sure that the price is correct and all the conditions of the mortgage are as expected. You will then receive a letter explaining the mortgage offer in detail.
7. Signing the Documents
Once the searches are complete, it is now time to check all the documentation and sign. You will need to sign the contract, mortgage deed and stamp duty land tax. Your solicitor will inform you what money you owe, such as your deposit. You will also find out your search results and the offer of the mortgage.
8. The Chain
The chain can be known as a very frustrating stage of your buying process. If you're lucky, sometimes there isn't a chain at all. Other times, there could be up to 10 people in your chain. For you to move into your new home, the seller must complete as well, but they may need to wait for the people in the house they want to buy and so on.
9. Exchange Contracts
The exchange of contracts is for you and the seller to arrange a time and date that is convenient for you both. The solicitors will now exchange your contracts.
10. Completion
Usually, this happens around lunchtime on the agreed date. You can move once the sellers' solicitors confirm the receipt of money, and then you can collect your keys!
If you need any help in buying your new home, please contact your local branch where one of our personable property lawyers would be delighted to assist you throughout the moving process.