Welcome to the world of conveyancing, where the dream of becoming a homeowner becomes a reality! If you’re new to the process, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Conveyancing is the legal transfer of a property’s title from the old owner to the new owner. In simpler terms, it’s the process that happens between you putting in an offer on a property and completing, in order for you to become the new legal owner of the property.
A conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor will guide you through the process, ensuring that everything is taken care of. They will obtain the seller’s responses to questions, check copies of guarantees on the property, ensure the seller is the legal owner of the property, check local authority searches and plans for the local area, pay stamp duty tax, and arrange registration of the title in your name.
When choosing a conveyancer, it’s important to get at least three quotes well before you start looking for a property. Ask friends, family, and your estate agent for recommendations, and try to negotiate a no sale – no fee deal, so you don’t pay anything if the deal falls through. Make sure to check and compare quotes carefully, ensuring that they are like for like. You may also want to consider having your conveyancer arrange an Environmental Search, which will give you information on flood risk, radon levels, and local mines in the area.
To keep the process moving ahead smoothly, you can give your conveyancer some basic information to get started, such as your mortgage lender details, the seller’s details, proof of your ID, and any specific questions you would like them to ask the seller. Completing mortgage application forms and responding to solicitors’ queries as soon as possible will also help to speed things up. Don’t forget to ask your conveyancer if you don’t understand anything or need clarification on any part of the process.
While the conveyancing process can take anywhere between 6 and 12 weeks (and sadly this estimate is getting longer every day) from the day your offer is accepted to getting all the paperwork completed and queries answered, even where there is no chain, it’s an exciting time that will soon lead to you becoming a proud homeowner!
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