Conveyancing
Step 1
Instruct your Solicitor
Easy Choice Conveyancing will email a Confirmed Instruction providing your Solicitor details.
Your Solicitor will then email your initial forms to proceed.
Your Solicitor will require you to return:-
✓ Signed client care letter
✓ Terms & Conditions
✓ Completed Purchase questionnaire
✓ Provide your ID and proof of address
You may return these via email or post
Step 2
Proof of funding
Your Solicitor will require evidence of your funding by one or more of the ways below:
1. Executed Deed of gift
2. Proof of savings
3. Proof of ISA
4. Proof of stocks and shares
5. Mortgage offer (your lender will provide your Solicitors with a copy of your mortgage offer)
Step 3
Property Searches
Property searches are ordered by Easy Choice Conveyancing. The searches are ordered from the local authority, water board, environment agency and other bodies to provide critical information about your property.
Your Solicitor and Lender will confirm the searches you require.
Typical information includes if the property has planning permission and building regulation certificates, if the property is in a high risk flood area or if it is built on or near contaminated land.
Step 4
Survey
A RICS surveyor should be instructed to advise you of any defects at the property. A RICS surveyor confirms any visible defects with the internal or external parts of the property that could reduce the current market value. It’s not the same as a mortgage valuation and any negative findings could be used to negotiate your original offer with the seller.
There are two types of RICS survey:
Level 2: HomeBuyer Report for flats, bungalows or standard construction houses.
Level 3: Building Survey for larger, older or properties with lots of alterations/extensions, or if you’re planning major works
Easy Choice Conveyancing will arrange your survey for you.
Please note if you have a Buyers Protection policy you will need to activate the policy BEFORE instructing a Surveyor.
Step 5
Contract & Enquiries
The seller’s solicitor sends over a draft contract pack for your solicitor to review.
Your solicitor reviews all of the documents for any legal concerns including your survey and then raises enquiries that the seller and their solicitor must reply, to the best of their knowledge.
Step 6
Exchange of Contracts
Exchange of contracts is where both buyer and seller become contractually bound to buy/sell the property – up until this point both you and the seller can pull out for any reason without penalty.
Your Solicitor will request a 10% deposit from you on the day of exchange. Your solicitor will call you confirming you are happy to exchange and then they will complete the exchange of contracts setting the agreed completion date.
If you are buying a freehold you must take out your building insurance policy on the day of exchange. Simply Conveyancers will provide you with a discounted home insurance quote.
Step 7
Completion
This is the day when you collect the keys from the estate agent/seller and move in!
You need to transfer your completion monies normally two days before – this also provides you the best chance of completing earlier on the actual day.
Once your solicitor receives your mortgage funds (if applicable) and your completion monies, then they can send over the balance of the purchase price to the seller’s solicitors
You normally collect the keys from the estate agent once they have been ‘verbally released’ by the seller’s solicitor (this happens after they receive the completion monies and the seller has confirmed vacant possession).
Make sure you get every key the seller has including gates, backdoor, shed, gas meter box and windows.
You should go straight to the property and confirm it is vacant, and all items/rubbish removed (other than the pre-agreed items within the seller’s Fittings & Contents form).
You should also check meter readings for gas and electricity and inform the suppliers of the change of ownership straight away (details of who these suppliers are can be found within the seller’s Property Information form).