Once you’ve found your ideal property and have had an offer formally accepted, you need to instruct the services of a conveyancing solicitor to legally complete your purchase. The details of the solicitors acting for the buyer and the seller will be exchanged by the estate agent. Once details are shared, the seller’s solicitor will send your conveyancer the contract pack along with the Property Information Form and the Fittings and Contents Form.

The documents contain important information about the property such as boundary disputes, planning permission, guarantees and warranties and environmental matters etc. The Fittings and Contents Form contains a list of items that will be included in the sale of the property, such as curtains, blinds, carpets etc. If the property is leasehold a copy of the lease will be included in the contract pack. 

If you are purchasing the property with the help of a mortgage your solicitor will also receive a copy of the mortgage offer once issued.

Although it is not legally required, we recommend you have an independent property survey conducted. The survey report will highlight any major faults with the property and may recommend additional investigations, making you aware of potentially costly repairs and allowing you the opportunity before exchange to renegotiate the purchase price.

Whilst a survey is recommended for every home buyer, it should be viewed as a necessary expense for those buying a property that:

• Is a listed building.
• Has a thatched roof or timber frame.
• Is an old or unusual build.
• Is in poor condition.

The results of the property survey may influence your decision to go ahead with the purchase, if you deem the work required to fix any issues with the property too expensive or time consuming.

Once the contract pack is received, your conveyancing solicitor will carry out initial ‘searches’ to find out vital information on the property and any associated risks, before you exchange contracts with the seller.

The type of searches that you need depend largely on the location of your property, there are however main types of searches that are advisable including:

• Local Authority.
• Environmental.
• Water and drainage.
• Flood risk.
• Mining.

Your solicitor will review all of the search and survey results on you and your mortgage lenders behalf. They will highlight any issues which should be of concern and advise on how they can be best remedied.

Before contracts are exchanged, your solicitor will work with you to identify and resolve any issues, before you are legally bound to complete the purchase.

A final completion statement will be prepared and paperwork issued for signature.

Your solicitor will conduct a final check with the Land Register to confirm that no changes have been made to the property since the register was first downloaded. 

Once everything is in place contracts will be exchanged and the deposit agreed with the seller’s solicitor.

At this stage you are legally obliged to purchase the property on the agreed date.

On the day of completion, your solicitor will pay the balance of the sale price (minus any deposit already paid) to the sellers’ solicitor.  

The sellers’ solicitors will send the sellers’ signed transfer deed and other title documents to your solicitor.

In the final stage of the conveyancing process your solicitor will arrange for any Stamp Duty (if applicable) to be paid to Revenue and Customs. They will also register you as the new owner of the property with the HM Land Registry.

If you have purchased with a mortgage your solicitor will also register the mortgage.

Copies of the updated register will be sent to you and your lender after registration has been completed.