Conveyancing Guides: Buying

Buying your property can be a confusing time which is why we have devised this step by step guide to explain the stages of your transaction.

If at any stage you do not understand any of the underlined terms, please click on the word to see a full explanation.

Purchase Agreed

1. Once you have instructed us we must wait to receive the pre-contract package from the seller's solicitor. Following receipt of this, we can apply for the local authority search, and any other necessary searches. (This can take up to four weeks).

2. We will raise any additional enquiries and await the replies. We will also await the search results and your mortgage offer, and follow any special instructions from the lender.

Exchange of Contracts

3. Once we are satisfied that everything is OK we will prepare a property report and send it to you.

4. You will then be asked to sign the contract and mortgage deed and provide a deposit. (Completion dates will be agreed at this stage). We can then exchange contracts with the seller's solicitor. The sale is now legally binding.

5. Once contracts have exchanged we can prepare the final accounts.

6. Final searches are then made against the property and you.

Completion

7. On the completion date we will hand over the balance of the funds and receive in return the title deeds from the seller's solicitors.

8. If applicable, stamp duty is paid, and we will arrange to register the transfer at the Land Registry. Once the title is registered we will supply a copy to you and send the original document to your lender.