Residential Property

Online Guide to Buying a Home

Stage 1 – Purchase Agreed

As soon as we have received your instructions and the pre-contract package from the seller’s solicitors we apply for the necessary searches. All our searches are carried out electronically to ensure that they are processed and that the results are delivered as quickly as possible.

At the same time we advise on the documents contained within the pre-contract package and raise additional enquiries of the seller’s solicitors.

Stage 2 – Exchange of Contracts

Once we have received the results of the searches, the replies to the additional enquiries, and your mortgage offer (if applicable) we will prepare a report advising you on everything from the legal title of the property to whether it has the necessary planning permission.

At this stage we will ask you to provide the deposit and will let you know how much you will need to pay on completion taking into account any funds you are receiving from your mortgage lender (if applicable).

If you wish to proceed with the transaction we can then proceed to exchange contracts which results in you and the seller become legally obliged to complete the purchase.

Stage 3 - Completion

Following the exchange of contracts we carry out final searches on the property and forward these to you.

On completion we will arrange to transfer the necessary funds to the seller's Solicitors in order to complete the purchase. The seller’s estate agents will then usually release the keys of the property to you.

Following completion we shall arrange to register your legal title to the property with the Land Registry. We will also prepare a Stamp Duty Land Tax return for the Inland Revenue and where applicable, we will arrange to pay the Stamp Duty.

Print this page