Whether you’re buying, selling or remortgaging we’re here to get you the closing date you need, from start to finish.
1. Speak To Your Solicitor First
If you are starting out in the process, please contact our offices and we can make an appointment for you to come in for a free consultation. We’ll guide you through the entire process and ensure you are fully informed from the start.
2. Have Your Purchase Funds In Place Before You Put A Deposit On A Property
Most purchasers are keen to complete the purchase as soon as possible so if you need to get a mortgage to buy be sure it is in place before you put your booking deposit down as it will speed things up. We also work with mortgage providers and we may be able to help you get the best rate.
3. Get A Structural Survey Of The Property
This applies to a new build or a previously owned property, a new build needs to be checked to ensure it is built according to building codes and a previously owned property needs to be checked to make sure that not only there are no structural issues but if the owners have made any alterations that they are in compliance with planning.
Once you buy the property you take it with any planning or structural issues so your structural survey will show up any issues before you sign the contracts so it is the best protection you will get and it will help your solicitor with their investigations and any queries can be raised with the sellers solicitor. If you get a mortgage your lender will seek a survey but this is only a visual survey and is not a full structural survey.
You are spending serious money on the property and the structural survey is the best investment you will make in this.
4. If You Are Using A Mortgage To Purchase Ensure All Your Documents Are In Order
The sooner you have given your documents to your broker or lender the sooner the mortgage provider can process them and ultimately once we know the mortgage funds are ready to be used we can contact the sellers solicitor and tell them we are ready to close and you can be sure it will motivate them to get the purchase closed quickly.
Again we can offer assistance with providing brokers who we work with to ensure all the documents are submitted and processed quickly. Getting a mortgage is effectively completing a checklist. The sooner they have all the documents and you complete the checklist for what they need the sooner we can tell the seller solicitor we are ready to close and get them to try and speed up the process.
5. You Do Not Move In When You Sign The Contracts
This is not the closing date but merely the date you put your 10% deposit down. When you put a booking deposit down at the start you have merely agreed a purchase price and we will start our investigations and once all the queries have been answered and the structural survey has been done we can advise that the contracts can be signed.
Only when the contracts are signed and exchanged between both parties and the 10% deposit has been paid is the contract binding between both parties, effectively both sides cannot back out now. After that the sellers will have to prepare all the documents we have requested in order to be ready for closing. This can take anywhere from two to six weeks and longer sometimes so factor this in.
No purchase follows the same timeline, there is whole list of different reasons why some take longer than others but please feel free to contact us at any stage and we can keep you informed at all times to ensure you know exactly what is going on and what is left to do.
6. Let Us Know If There Are Any Contents Included In The Purchase Price
Unless agreed you will get the property as an empty shell and if anything is not nailed down such as furniture and wardrobes etc the property should be empty on closing. If any items such as the oven, dishwasher, tables and chairs are included let us know before the contracts are signed.
We can ensure they are inserted in the contracts and you do not get any surprises when you put the key in the door for the first time and you are shocked to find that stand alone refrigerator you were hoping to use on your first night is not there. The same applies if you do not want any items let us know in advance and we can ensure they are taken from the property and you are not left with the cost of getting a skip in and dealing with removal of items you did not want.
This is an easy step that purchasers often forget and it is very easy for us to raise so by all means let us know.
7. If You Have Any Queries, Big Or Small, Let Us Know
Whether you are a first time buyer or a seasoned purchaser you cannot be expected to know how the entire process works so by all means telephone, email or call into our offices. Your solicitor is there to help and no question is too big or small to answer. The more informed you are the easier the process will be for you. We are there to help you and we are happy to help as we want to have you in your new home as quickly as we can.