Buying a House - The Basics

What happens when you buy a property?

The following step-by-step guide gives you the bare-bones basics of the legal process involved in buying a property:

Request draft contract from seller’s solicitors
As soon as a you have chosen your solicitor, he will write to the seller’s solicitors requesting;

When dealing with a leasehold property he will also ask for a copy of the lease, 3 years management accounts (if applicable) and a current buildings insurance policy.

Receive draft contract and supporting papers
As soon as your solicitor receives the draft contract and other documents, he will go through them to find out everything is in order. But it is unusual for everything to arrive at once.

Make further enquiries
In some cases the information received may not be detailed enough or may in fact prompt further questions. If further information is needed, your solicitor will request it immediately.

Pay local search fee
An important part of the enquiries involves your solicitor obtaining detailed information from the local authority about planning issues which are relevant to the property. You will have to pay a fee for this.

Most local authorities require a title plan detailing the relevant property along with the local search application. Different local authorities work at different speeds. The estimated return time will always be shown on the report.

Local Search Returns
The results of the local search may prompt the need for additional questions to be asked, most commonly the need for copies of any planning permissions.

Receive replies from seller’s solicitor
Once all of the information is received from the seller’s solicitors, your solicitor can send an approved contract to the seller’s solicitor.

Approve draft contract and send to the seller’s solicitor
The approved contract will be sent to the seller’s solicitor for the seller to sign in readiness for exchange of contracts.

Receive mortgage offer from lender
As well as acting for you, your solicitor will act for the building society if you are taking out a mortgage. Your solicitor will need instructions from the building society before he can proceed to exchange of contracts. When this is done they are asked to sign the contract.

Make appointment to sign contract
Your solicitor will need to explain to you all of the information that has been received and the responsibilities you will have as an owner and a borrower from the building society. When this is done you will be asked to sign the contract.

Receive deposit
A deposit will be required from you by the seller’s solicitor. This is usually between 5% and 10% of the purchase price. If you are also selling a property, the deposit paid to you by your buyers can sometimes be used. If not, your solicitor will request a building society cheque or bankers draft from you to make sure there are no further delays due to cheque clearance.

Propose completion date
Completion is the point at which the you pay for the property and it changes hands. The date needs to be agreed before exchange of contracts can take place.

Inform seller’s solicitor that you’re ready to exchange
When your solicitor has a signed contract, mortgage offer, and an agreed completion date, they will inform the seller’s solicitor that you are ready to exchange.

Exchange contracts
Once contracts have been exchanged the you and the seller are legally committed to buy/sell the property in question.

Completion Date
The completion date agreed with the seller on exchange of contracts is the date upon which the seller must give vacant possession and you can take up occupation, But first you must pay the balance of the purchase price. Failure to complete on the agreed date will result in the party at fault being in breach of Contract.

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