When buying or selling property, the ideal scenario for those involved is that the transaction completes as quickly and smoothly as possible.
However, delays and unexpected issues can arise out of the blue which can jeopardise a related sale or purchase.
The question is then, what can you do to help make sure your sale or purchase completes in a timeframe that is satisfactory to you?
Here Bendles’ top tips to make sure everything moves as speedily as possible and how you can avoid unnecessary delays.
One: Have a conveyancer lined up ready to go!
It can be an exciting time when your offer is accepted on your dream home, but if you have not found a conveyancer who can deal with the purchase, this will immediately delay matters while you try find the right conveyancer for you.
Try to do as much research as you can and have a list of conveyancers who can act as soon as that offer is accepted. It is also important that you return any forms and paperwork issued by your conveyancer back to your conveyancer as soon as possible.
Two: Make sure your conveyancer has all the deeds to your property
While much of the land in England and Wales is registered with HM Land Registry, there are still properties in which the ownership is evidenced by Deeds and Conveyances. In order to convey unregistered land, your conveyancer will need access to these original documents.
It is important that you a) know the location of the deeds and b) make sure your conveyancer receives them as soon as possible.
By making yourself aware early where your deeds are located, it will allow for the quick retrieval when they are required.
Three: Declare a gifted deposit as soon as possible
For first-time buyers, some of their deposit may come as a gift from their parents or other relative. No matter how small or large the gift may be, you need to inform your conveyancer straightaway to help avoid delays.
Your conveyancer will need to contact those people making the gift to enquire about the source of funds. If there is a mortgage lender involved, they will also need to be made aware of a gifted deposit. This may delay the transaction further if this information is not discussed early in your purchase.
Four: Find your property certificates
If your home has had work done to it within the last 20 years, whether that is new windows and doors, a new boiler or heating system or electrical work, certificates are usually provided by those installers to certify that the work complies with building regulations.
Buyers will want to see these certificates as part of their investigations into the property. You should therefore consider keeping any certificates you may have in a central location so they can be handed to your conveyancer early in the transaction.
Five: Instruct a survey as soon as possible
If you intend to have a surveyor inspect the property to check its condition, it is best to arrange this as soon as possible – ideally at the start of the transaction. The results of a survey may lead you to re-negotiate an offer if the condition of the property was not fully understood when your original offer was accepted.
Surveyors have their own timescales and workloads to consider, and if you are late to instruct one, then this can add delays to a transaction, especially if further re-negotiation is required.
How can we help?
At Bendles, our conveyancing team have the specialist knowledge and experience when it comes to property located in Cumbria. This enables them to deal with issues efficiently and as quickly as possible, saving you time and money.
Contact the team at Bendles Solicitors for more information about our conveyancing services on 01228 522215 or email us at [email protected]
