Buying Your New Home

This is an example of how a typical purchase progresses.

Step 1 Getting Started

1. Instruct us to deal with the legal aspects and ensure the Estate Agent has our details. We will establish you as a client. You need to complete our Client Information Form. We are also required to verify your Identity as do most institutions you deal with. Please see our ID Requirements document.
2. We will send you our Retainer Letter which we are required to do and confirm the level of fees with you.
3. We liaise with the Estate Agents about the terms of the Purchase.
4. We make contact by email (where possible) with the Seller’s conveyancer confirming our instructions and requesting a title and contract pack.
5. We have an online search facility so all relevant searches necessary for your new home are carried out as quickly as possible.
6. We review the tile and the search results and provide you with a full report on title relating to the Property.
7. We receive mortgage instructions direct from your mortgagee.
8. We do like to review the mortgage with the client and run through the contract and title so we generally ask for you to visit us to go through this aspect. We can however do it without having to see you if necessary

Step 2. Exchange

1. You will be aware of the phrase ‘Exchange of Contracts’ well this is the day you legally commit to buying your home.
2. In advance of that day we will discuss with you and the Seller as well as the agent the date upon which you want to move. We will need you to arrange to pay us a deposit of up to 10% of the Price to commit you to the exchange. If you have a related sale we use the deposit on your sale as the deposit on your purchase.
3. Once agreed we Exchange contracts and pay the deposit to the Sellers Conveyancer. We also confirm in the contract the date for Completion i.e. the date you want to move in.
4. INSURANCE – you must insure your new home from exchange as you are bound to buy it come what may.
5. We will send you a transfer form – this is a form established by the Land Registry which transfers the title from the Seller to you which you need to sign. In addition we send you a financial statement showing all the payments we make on your behalf and how much money we need you to transfer to us in time for completion.

Step 3 Completion

1. On the day of Completion all you need to do is pack your belongings and get ready to move in leaving the technicalities of legal completion to us. We will telephone you as soon as the Sellers conveyancer has received the money and we have completed. So you can collect the keys from the Agents.
2. Generally you will look to be moving in mid to late morning.
3. We deal with submitting SDLT forms and submitting application for you to be registered as the new owner.

That’s it – you are complete and have your new home.