We understand that moving home can be one of the most exciting times of your life. Yet at the same time, it can also be one of the most stressful. With it, can be a lot of questions and conveyancing terminology that makes the mind boggle.
So, we thought we’d share with you all of the FAQs we’re often asked…
What is Conveyancing?
Conveyancing is the name given to the various processes that your property solicitor will undertake between your offer being accepted and the moment when you are handed the keys to your new home. Two crucial stages here are the exchange of contracts and completion, but there many steps to be taken during conveyancing.
These include:
- requesting the contract from the seller’s solicitor
- applying for searches
- reviewing the various results and negotiating with the seller’s solicitor
- exchanging contracts
- finalising the mortgage
- final searches
- completion
- applying for the property deeds
What is the Conveyancing process?
Whether you are selling or buying a home, it’s a good idea to know what is involved, and to understand how the Conveyancing process works.
So, what are the various stages of the Conveyancing process, and what kind of time should you expect each to take? Take a look here in our Buying a House infographic and Selling a House infographic.
What type of property searches take place?
As a buyer, an essential part of the conveyancing process is for you to obtain searches, to ensure the property is not adversely affected by anything not obvious. A variety of searches may be needed, some specific to a location, but the most common are:
- Environmental search – checks for flooding predictions, ground stability, contamination hazards, the presence of landfill sites etc.
- Local authority searches – checks for planned projects that may affect the property, from buildings overlooking it to new roads that may involve compulsory purchase.
- Water and Drainage Search – checks that the property is connected to water and sewerage.
- Land Registry searches – the title register and title plan will confirm the seller’s right to sell the property.
Your solicitor will then review the search results and the mortgage offer. If any enquiries arise affecting the draft contract, the seller’s solicitor will respond to them at this stage.
How long does it take to buy a house?
On average, the process could take between 8 to 16 weeks, but this is dependent on a number of factors. In particular, it depends on how quickly both solicitors involved perform their tasks. If either the solicitor you have chosen or the seller’s solicitor is overloaded with work, each step could take a good deal longer.
However, even if both solicitors are working efficiently, delays could come from elsewhere. The seller is required to produce a number of documents, and these could be more difficult to find in some situations than in others. For instance, if the seller has lived in the property for a long time, crucial documents may have been mislaid — or the seller could simply be unorganised.
Another potential source of delay comes with the requests for searches. These include local authority searches, to identify any plans that might affect the property, Land Registry searches, to establish the seller’s right to the property, and environmental searches to check for potential hazards in the immediate area. Any or all of the agencies involved could take longer than normal to respond.
The results from the searches will also affect the amount of time required. If serious issues are raised (e.g. risk of flooding or planning permission for a project affecting the property) this is likely to require further negotiations, both between the solicitors and perhaps also involving the mortgage lender.
Choosing the right Conveyancing solicitor
As we have seen, serious delays can affect buying a house that have nothing to do with your solicitor’s performance, although your solicitor can apply pressure on the other parties, if required. What can be said with certainty is that a poor choice of solicitor is highly likely to add time to the process.
You should be looking for a firm with a dedicated Conveyancing team. Your initial enquiries may give you an idea of whether they are going to have enough time to devote to your Conveyancing. If, for instance, they seem to be having a problem fitting you in for an initial appointment, that may suggest they are overwhelmed.
How we can help
Moving home is renowned for being a stressful time, but we are here to show you that it doesn’t have to be that way. Our award-winning Conveyancing team are specialists in their field and are known for being excellent communicators. The team offer fixed-fee Conveyancing, meaning there’ll be no hidden cost surprises and all-important flexible appointment times to suit you.
Contact our expert Conveyancing solicitors today for a free conveyancing quote, or for information, on 01525 378177, or online.
