Buying a Property

Buying property is not an easy feat to achieve. But once you have your heart set on a property you want to buy, contact Royce Legal Solicitors for a specialist conveyancing solicitor for guidance. Below are some FAQS about buying property/house and the processes involved. For more information, please contact our expert conveyance team of solicitors at (insert number), for assistance.

How to Buy a House

The process for buying property starts before you make an offer. Before you hunt for a property to buy, ensure that you have your monetary funds cared for. Do your homework and find out how much money a mortgage lender will let you borrow.

We will provide you with package searches for the house you want to buy. The package will give you information about the surrounding area and the property. Royce Legal Solicitors will check the title of the property to ensure that the property has resale value in the future and that you obtain a marketable title.

If you are purchasing the property on a mortgage fund, our residential conveyancing solicitors will advise you about the terms and conditions of the mortgage offer. If you are paying the property without a mortgage, you will need to arrange funds in time for the purchase of the house. Once these things are taken care of, our conveyance solicitors will provide a full report on the property of purchase and ask for signatures on the necessary documentation. With these signatures, you have officially completed the purchase of the property, and you will be given the keys to your new property. Below is the process in chronological order.

1. Establish that your funds are in order. Ensure that you have the right deposit requirements for the properties you are interested in. Factor in the cost of moving, legal fees and stamp duty.
2. Speak to a mortgage broker or lender to know how much money you can borrow. Combine this sum with your deposit sum, and other monetary requirements – this will establish the ceiling price of properties you can afford to buy.
3. Start property hunting. Visit houses you are interested in buying.
4. Make an offer on the property you want to buy, once your offer is accepted, agree on a sale.
5. Instruct your conveyance solicitor.
6. Apply for a mortgage (if you want)
7. Get a valuation survey on your property and wait for the conveyancing process to be carried.
8. You can also get additional surveys done, such as the structural survey of the property (if the house potentially has issues).
9. Receive mortgage from the lender.
10. Exchange contracts – you are now legally obliged to proceed with the purchase of the property/house.
11. Agree on a completion date with the previous owner and arrange your move into your new home.

If you are selling your current property, to finance the purchase of your new house, then the completion of both properties needs to happen simultaneously.

How long will it take to buy a house?

The time between acceptance of your offer, to completion of the purchase, can take from a few weeks to several months. Each case has its own level of complexity along with several other aspects that affect its duration. These aspects may include:

• The length and intricacy of the chain. Sometimes, other people’s property sales and purchases are dependent on yours, going through or vice versa.
• The amount of time it takes to receive the mortgage offer.
• Additional surveys to satisfy the lender.
• A lag in the conveyance process if third parties don’t respond on time to searches and enquiries.

How much deposit is required to buy a property/house?

Several factors play a part in making up the deposit. These include the property’s value, the amount of money you can borrow for a mortgage and the requirements of each lender. Roughly, the deposit is somewhere between 5 to 20% of the purchase price.

As a rule of thumb, the bigger the quantity of your deposit to the purchase price (known as loan to value LTV), the better the mortgage interest you qualify for.

Do you need a solicitor to buy a property/house?

Yes, we recommend you hire an experienced conveyancing solicitor as the process is complex and poses potential consequences if done improperly. Likewise, some mortgage lenders insist on a professional conveyancing solicitor to handle the legal matters of purchasing property, as part of their terms and conditions.

When to instruct a solicitor when buying a property/house?

Your solicitor should be instructed as soon as you receive an offer on your property, granted that you already have a mortgage agreement in principle (AIP) and are ready to proceed with the purchase.

How long will a solicitor take when buying a property?

Carrying the conveyance process on your behalf can take a few weeks or several months. Again, this is dependent on the individual circumstances of the property.

When a solicitor is conveyancing, it involves local searches and enquiries to both the seller and official bodies regarding your prospective new home to ensure that there are no surprises once everything goes through. For instance, development plans in your vicinity are likely to impact your property negatively.

The process can be more complex for certain properties depending on their location. For example, if the property you wish to purchase is near a river or where mining activity was carried out previously. Typically, the more searches that are required, the longer the conveyancing process.

What are the solicitor’s fees for buying a property, and when should I pay them?

The fees for a solicitor are not fixed and will likely vary from firm to firm. Other factors that dictate fees are location, the value of the property and the complexity of the situation for that particular property purchase. A leasehold has more conveyancing cost as more work is required by the solicitor, in comparison to freehold property.

Some Conveyancing solicitors require a 10% estimate as a deposit when instruction is given. You will be asked to pay for local searches if required in the conveyancing process. Our solicitor will also provide you with a final invoice from our solicitors on completion of transcription.

Why Choose Royce Legal Conveyance Solicitors For Buying Property

For a smooth, legal process, when purchasing a property, use professional and experienced conveyancing solicitors you can trust.

Royce Legal Solicitors customer service satisfies our clients and assures them that their case is in safe hands. Whether you are a first-time buyer or are looking to invest, Royce Legal property Specialists will guide you from the outset.

For more information on our conveyancing services, contact our conveyancing team 01924 664177 , for a free initial consultation.