8 Top Tips To Simplify The House-Moving Process
Buying a house and moving can be a really stressful experience. The excitement of finding a property you really like can soon start to wear off if there are complications with the chain. Or if you find yourself gazumped at the last minute. Some people may even struggle saying goodbye to their old home, particularly if they have strong emotional attachments. Here at Bennett Griffin we’re aware of all the potential worries and concerns that homebuyers can face. We also know that instructing a solicitor to buy a house is a big decision. So, we’ve put together some top tips to help make your house move as smooth as possible.
Decision In Principle
If you can, obtain a decision in principle from your mortgage lender before starting your property hunt. This will help to speed up the process once you have your offer for a property accepted.
Finding A Solicitor For Buying A House
The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme is a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices. Bennett Griffin LLP are proud to have this accreditation in recognition of the standard and quality of our residential conveyancing team. Review Solicitors are working with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on their initial pilot for client reviews and so are another helpful resource in finding the right representation for you.
Instruct Your Conveyancing Solicitor At An Early Stage
When you engage a solicitor for help with buying a house there are a lot of regulatory and administrative requirements, all of which take time to complete. Providing suitable evidence of your identity, and putting your solicitor in funds for ordering searches in a timely manner, are just two ways that you can help speed up your transaction.
Financial Aid For Property Purchase
If anyone is helping you financially with your purchase, you should let your residential property solicitor know at the outset. Failure to do so, may cause delays in your house move.
Be Realistic About Property-Buying Timeframes
If you are selling or buying a leasehold property, the process will take longer than a freehold sale or purchase. This is because a lot more information is required.
When you start thinking about selling your leasehold property, you should ask the person(s) who collects the ground rent and service charge:
(i) who provides the leasehold information pack(s)
(ii) how long they take to send this information out upon receipt of payment and
(iii) what their fees are for providing this information.
Ideally, you should also obtain the contact details (email address, phone number and contact name) for the legal pack provider and pass these onto your solicitor at the earliest opportunity. Delays in providing these packs, can be one of the major hold ups in a leasehold transaction.
Respond Promptly To Any Enquiries From Your Conveyancing Solicitor
If you aren’t sure about what you are being asked, call your solicitor to discuss these enquiries directly with them.
It also really helps to return the signed contract and send over the deposit monies to your solicitor as quickly as possible after request. Most banks have different payment limits depending on which type of customer you are and the type of payment you are making. So just be aware that transferring deposit monies can take some time.
Flexible Completion Dates For Property Purchases
Try and be as flexible as possible with proposed completion dates, especially when there is a long chain. You can complete on any week day. Estate agents can be very helpful in liaising with everyone in the chain to find a date that works. To ensure that there aren’t any delays on the day of completion, send over the monies required to your solicitor the day before.
Notes For Completion Day
On the day of completion, make sure that:
- All rubbish has been cleared and you are packed up ready to leave before the time stated in the contract. Your solicitor will advise you of the relevant time. Failure to do so could lead to claims being made against you under the terms of the contract.
- Take final meter readings and advise the utility companies of these.
- Make sure that you tell all relevant parties your new address and also set up a Royal Mail redirection.
Hopefully you’ll find these suggestions useful. We know that finding a solicitor for buying a house can be a difficult decision to make. If you would like to find out more about the house moving process – and how Bennett Griffin could help – don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our highly experienced residential property and conveyancing team will be delighted to guide you through all types of residential property transactions. Good luck with your move!