Why should it be more difficult and time consuming to buy a house than say a car? Good question.
The system for buying and selling property in England and Wales is gradually moving into the electronic age. But it is still basically an antique model from the age of steam which is no longer fit for purpose in the modern world. It’s creaky and slow at the best of times, and often breaks down.
So that leads to a second question. Do conveyancers actually help with buying and selling homes, or do they just add delay, confusion, stress and expense to the process? Well, most of the time there is a arguable case to be made that conveyancers are part of the problem not the solution. The difference between a good conveyancer and a bad one is that the good one will see you through a crisis. To keep with the analogy of the wheezy machine, he will know the grease points and how to apply patch repairs to keep the transaction going.
Everything depends on the skill of the conveyancing mechanic. We think we have some good mechanics in our workshop, which is why we think you should give us a try.
Services
The following services would usually be included within our standard fee:
- Dealing with standard checks on where the money for your transaction is coming from in line with our duties under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017;
- Liaising with estate agents and your mortgage lender (if any);
- Submitting and/or reviewing contract papers and searches;
- Investigating title to the property and dealing with legal enquiries;
- Preparing and/or reviewing and approving the transfer deed;
- Preparing and/or reviewing the mortgage offer and mortgage deed (if any);
- Reporting to you on the transaction;
- Attending to exchange of contracts and dealing with post-exchange formalities; and
- Dealing with post-completion work such as payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax and registration formalities, including leasehold matters.
How long will my transaction take?
How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 10-16 weeks for a freehold transaction and 12-18 weeks for a leasehold transaction but it can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. A standard re-mortgage will take approximately 6-8 weeks.
Who will have conduct of my matter?
Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by an appropriately qualified practitioner. Jasmine Pringle, Graduate CILEx Member and Head of Department, will have overall supervision for all practitioners within the department. Other key contacts include Tally Bains (Director and Solicitor), Jack Fairweather (Director and Solicitor), Trent Hobden (Conveyancer), Pauline Phillips (Chartered Legal Executive) and Tom Ramsay (Solicitor).
For our conveyancing fees please see our Residential Property Fees page.
