What’s Involved?

By now you should be well on your way with your mortgage application and instructing a survey.

Mortgage:

If you need a mortgage, then you should apply as soon as possible. We highly recommend that you use a mortgage broker or financial advisor to help you with this.

Surveys:

Some mortgage lenders offer a survey as part of the valuation process. Please remember that unless you opt for a specific survey, the valuation alone will not benefit you. There are different types of survey available.  We know that moving house can be an expensive process, but a survey is a really important part of the process. Whilst it will cost you in the short term, it could save you thousands in the longer term.

The seller does not have to tell you about any physical problems with the property or indeed whether the services are working.  If you have any doubts as to the state and condition of the property or whether the services are in good working order you are advised to carry out further investigations before you make a commitment to proceed as defects in the services or systems will most likely not come to light until after completion and can be expensive to fix.  More often than not there will be little or no action you can take against the seller should defects be discovered after completion. If your survey doesn’t cover electrical and gas reports, you may want to visit the property with the appropriately qualified trades people.

1 & 2: At the start of the process, we need quite a lot of information from you so that we can make sure that you move as quickly and carefully as possible. If you haven’t already done so, please make sure when we ask you for information, you provide it to us promptly.

3 & 4: When we receive the Contract from the seller's solicitors, we will: -

• Apply for the searches we consider appropriate (we will ask you to make payment at this point but this is included in the estimate that you have already received from us ).
• Check the contract is accurate and review the title deeds to make sure that you’re buying what you think you’re buying.
• Ask questions of the seller to make sure that we have as much information as possible on the property that you’re buying. This process is known as “raising enquiries”.

5: When your mortgage offer is issued, you will get a copy and so will we. We will have to look after your mortgage lender, as we look after you, and we will need to tell them about the property that you are buying to make sure that they’re happy to lend.

6: We are now nearing completion and we will be checking the responses to the enquiries that we raised earlier in the process and reporting our findings to both you and your lender.  This is one of the final points in the process where you can ask us questions before you commit to buy your property. Once we have dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s we will ask you to confirm that you are happy to proceed to buy the property. At this point you will need to get your ducks in a row and get your buildings insurance organised and deposit funds sent to us.

7: By this point, all parties in the chain will have agreed a date to move. Once this is done, exchange of contracts set this date in stone and legally binds you to buy and the seller to sell.….the point of no return! When we have completed the exchange process, you are free to book your removals. Beware of booking before exchange, you may be stung with cancellation fees. We will now order your mortgage funds and will request any outstanding money from you as well.

8: The big day! The Completion Date is the day that you get the keys to your new property. We can’t guarantee what time of day this will happen, there are too many moving parts but we will keep you posted throughout the day.

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Time Scales

There are many stages to selling and buying a property. We find the key to a successful move is being organised with plenty of time to spare. The whole process is likely to take between 16 - 22 weeks on average, from the date you had your offer accepted until the day you get the keys. It is not until Contracts have been exchanged that the completion date is set in stone.  We recommend a minimum of one week is allowed between Contracts being exchanged and the completion date. This allows time for removal arrangements to be made and to make other arrangements with certainty.

Please don’t arrange a date for completion or book removals until you have checked that we have finished our part of the process and made sure that your dream house is a safe investment and everyone else in the chain are in a position to proceed. We do not advise that you book removals until contracts have been exchanged.

The following are just a few reminders of the things you should deal with in the weeks before your move:-

• Contact Gas, Electricity, Water and Telephone Services. Don’t forget to read your old and new meters on the day of completion.
• Book the removal van (please check in with us first!).
• Notify Local Authority of move.
• Notify your insurance companies, employer, doctor, dentist, schools, banks, building societies, DVLA.
• Arrange for family/friends to look after the children and pets on moving day. Trust us, this is a must!
• Arrange for mail to be re-directed.
• Give notice on any rented accommodation (please check in with us first!).

why might it be taking so long?

Many delays are out of the control of your conveyancer or estate agent and are typically caused by the property chain or waiting for information from other parties involved in the transaction.

Common causes of delay are:

• A delay in a mortgage offer being issued (this might not be yours but may be someone else’s in the chain).
• Incorrect information having been supplied to a bank or solicitor.
• Not providing correct information as to where funds are coming from.
• Not instructing a solicitor as soon as the property is put on the market.
• Obtaining information from the Landlord or Management Company for leasehold properties.
• Issues with the title deeds, requiring more detailed investigation.
• Other parties in the chain having different timescales or requirements for completion dates.
• Lack of planning permissions or building regulation approvals for works carried out to properties.
• Parties not providing information quickly.
• Parties being on holiday.
• Someone changing their mind.

​​​​​Things can go wrong from time to time, but we are here to help and advise you at all times.

Tips to Keep Your Money Safe

• Be careful what you share on socials. We all like to share exciting times in our lives but this could be used against you. You don’t always know who is looking at your posts.
• Keep your computers, smartphones and tablets up to date. 
• Do not e-mail your solicitor if using Wi-Fi in a public place.
• Never send your bank account details to your solicitor by e-mail.  Either write a letter or visit us in person.  If you call us, use a telephone number you know belongs to us or you have used before.
• We won’t send you bank details by email without encrypting them with a password. If you do receive bank details by email, you should call us before making any payments to check the details.
• Don’t be afraid to call us to check anything that seems odd.  Trust your instincts.
• If you think you have made a mistake or if you think your money transfer has been intercepted, act quickly. Contact your bank and us immediately.

How we can help you once you have bought your property

• You should consider making or updating you Will;
• You should consider making a Lasting Power of Attorney appointing a trusted friend or family member to look after your health and welfare needs or your property and financial affairs for you in the event that you suffer an accident or illness in the future.
• If you intend to let your property out in the future, you should notify you lender if you have one and if you require our help in drafting a tenancy agreement or informing you of your obligations as a landlord, please contact us.
• If you have bought a leasehold property and you want to extend the term of your lease, we have experts in this field who can help you.
• We have colleagues who specialise in Corporate, Commercial, Matrimonial and Personal Injury and Litigation matters. If you have any legal needs in the future, please contact us to see how we can help.