You have found your dream home and your offer has been accepted. The next step is to instruct a solicitor and provide their details to the estate agent. However, have you stopped to ask yourself, what does a solicitor do when buying a house? What should you expect from a conveyancing solicitor and what does the conveyancing process involve?
DTM Legal prides itself on providing expert advice that is practical and straight forward to understand. Below, we take you through the full process from when you have seen the property to picking up the keys and registering your ownership.
A Solicitor’s Simple Guide to Buying a House
- The solicitor receives instructions, verifies your identity and source of funds.
- Your solicitor receives contracts from the seller’s solicitor.
- Once contracts are received searches can be applied for. The Local Authority will confirm if there are any Compulsory Purchase plans or breach of planning control. Other searches may also be needed such as drainage, environmental and coal mining depending on the area.
- The documents will then be reviewed and any necessary enquiries will be raised with the sellers solicitors.
- Upon receipt of mortgage instructions your solicitor will report to you and advise the lender of any discrepancy or other matters such as gifted deposits.
- A survey may be required and the type of survey needs to be considered and initiated.
- Once your solicitor is satisfied with the replies to enquiries and search results they will prepare a contract report. This will be shared with you along with the contract for signature.
- Once the contract has been returned you will agree a completion date. Your solicitor will request deposit funds and proceed to exchange of contract. This is done via telephone between the solicitors and you do not need to be present. It is at this point the contract becomes legally binding on both parties.
- A completion statement will be sent to you from your solicitor, this will request funds from you if necessary.
- Complete your purchase on the agreed date and stamp duty (SDLT) is paid. This is the day you will receive your keys and can move into your property.
- Your solicitor will register your ownership of the property together with any change at the Land Registry.
- You will be provided with a copy of the Land Registry entries and any guarantee or certificates.
What Factors Could Delay a Purchase of a House?
There are unfortunately some elements that can slow down the conveyancing process. Many of the most common delays relate to receiving information from third-party suppliers such as local searches, planning consent, building management papers, leasehold details and title deeds. Human factors also play a role in delaying the purchase of the house. Holidays, sickness and redundancy are just some of the possible causes of a delay which can happen during the conveyancing process.
With longer chains there is often a ripple effect, and one delay can result in other members of the chain not being able to act as swiftly as they would wish. It is important to be aware that often these issues will be out of your control or the conveyancers and that good communication and cooperation with the other parties involved in the chain is the best approach for a satisfactory outcome and clear understanding of the factors impacting your purchase.
The Right Solicitor When Buying Your Property
Whilst we can lay the process out in twelve simple steps, buying a house is the biggest decision most people will make in their lifetime. An experienced solicitor will help navigate the legal aspects of buying a property in the UK, ensuring that the transaction is conducted smoothly and in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. A good solicitor will communicate well, ensure you are kept informed of the key events and be considerate of your needs throughout the process whilst progressing the purchase with diligence.
Speak to our Conveyancing Experts
With offices in Chester and Liverpool our Residential Property team are your trusted partners for legal excellence and outstanding service in your local area.
To contact Sue Elias and the Residential Conveyancing team call on 01244 354800 or email residentialconveyancing@dtmlegal.com. Visit our Residential Purchases page for more details on our services and fees.
