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What is conveyancing?

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of ownership of the property. The process can be broken down into multiple stages:

Contacting a conveyancing solicitor

The first step is to contact a solicitor who will carry out the conveyancing process with you. Their first step will most likely be to provide you with various documents and questionnaires to complete ahead of the process progressing. Throughout the entire process, you must answer truthfully and accurately, as failure to do so could result in your eventual buyer claiming damages after completion or pull out of the sale entirely.

While you are not required to use a conveyancing solicitor for this process, it is recommended due to the complexities involved. Naturally, the faster you return your information, the faster the process can be completed.

Conveyancing searches

There is a physical examination of your home in order to establish any potential underlying issues that could cause problems in the future.

These searches are not just matters such as peeling wallpaper or cracked windows but rather more technical queries; environmental reports, local authority searches, water and drainage issues, planning permission etc.

The scope and level of detail that conveyancing solicitors go into is one of the many reasons why it is recommended to use a professional service as opposed to carrying out these tasks yourself. Their job is to make note of any of these issues and then provide information on possible solutions.

Exchanging Contracts

Once the searches have been conducted and any pain points have been addressed, the contracts are then signed. The documents involved are a final completion statement, the deed of transfer and the deed of your mortgage. The final completion statement more or less acts as a bill, acknowledging the breakdown of all searches and results conducted by the conveyancer. As for the deed of transfer and deed of mortgage, the former is the legal document that acknowledges the transfer of ownership of the property while the latter is the confirmation of the terms of your mortgage.

Once this stage is complete, you have the legal obligation to purchase the property.

Completion of purchase

With everything in place, the conveyancers of both the buyer and seller arrange the transfer of all relevant documents and funds. Once these are received and in order, you can receive the keys to your new home.

Potential pitfalls of conveyancing

The conveyancing process can often take as long as 12 weeks but in certain circumstances, even longer. This is in no small part due to communication breakdowns, inaccurate responses or if both parties simply operate at different rates.

There are several key culprits when it comes to causing delays in conveyancing; knowing what is ahead of you and being prepared for them will be crucial in avoiding any potential speed bumps and can go a long way to making the process much smoother and less stressful for you:

Communication breakdown 

As we mentioned, the key to a successful and efficient conveyancing process is to maintain communication and clarity from beginning to end. Discussing everything with your solicitor at the earliest convenience can help to avoid any hiccups further down the line.

Lack of Planning Permission 

If you have had an extension fitted or have worked on any home improvements that required planning permission, it is vital that all of your paperwork is in order and ready to hand over. Although recent changes to the rules now state that anything under six metres does not require planning permission, extensions from before the laws were changed still have to meet the required standards and regulations.

Different Time Frames To Other Buyers And Sellers 

Much like anything else, being on a different time frame to other people can prove to be irritating. Selling your home in a hurry can prove to be very difficult if your buyers are taking their time and being much more leisurely. In this situation, it is important to bring this to the table at the very start. Understanding where everyone is and discussing preferred timelines with both your conveyancer and potential buyer, will mean that all parties have a better idea of what benchmarks need to be met.

If you are in a position where you need to sell your house fast and cannot afford the risk of any delays, our quick and simple home buying service will be of interest. In as little as seven days - or a time frame that suits you - we can complete your sale and have the proceeds in your account, complete with all conveyancing. To find out more about our services, visit our Sell My House Fast page.

Mortgage Approval Delays 

By the end of 2020, the average duration of a mortgage approval had risen by 144% since the start of the year. With such a high demand for property, mortgage applications are coming thick and fast, and many lenders are struggling to process them in time. The average wait-time for your mortgage approval can now vary from anywhere between two and six weeks. 

Many find that going to a mortgage broker can help to not only speed this process up but also alleviate much of the stress involved in finding the right loan for you.

Chain Break

Chains breaking has long been an issue for those looking to buy and sell a home. There is not a great amount that can be done when your property chain breaks other than begin the process again.

We have written about signs that a chain break may be looming but the crucial thing to remember is that the situation is always manageable and much more frequent than you think.

Rushing

Buying a house is a long and complicated process. It is important to understand that rushing through any part of it will cause more problems than it solves. Your patience will pay off and you will be rewarded with a much less hectic conveyancing process and your new home at the end of it.

The only time you need to act more swiftly than normal would be at the very beginning when it comes to contacting a solicitor to guide you through this process. They are the professionals and will always act in your best interest. A really good conveyancing solicitor will be on hand to answer any questions or worries you may have but as long as you provide them with all the necessary documentation and funds, worries and issues will hardly be a factor.

The home buying process is a marathon. It can take several weeks for it to even really begin and then after that you can maybe expect to wait for a few months until you eventually sell and move on. If time is of the essence and you cannot afford to wait for surveys, searches or risk a buyer pulling out, contact Spring about our Sell My House Fast service.

We have over a decade of experience in privately buying people’s homes, allowing them the headspace to go through with their move without the worry of having their buyer pull out. Our expertise and specialist solicitors mean that delays are a thing of the past. We remove the pitfalls, guess work and uncertainty that can make buying and selling a home more complicated than it already is, getting you over the line in a fraction of the time. With a guaranteed sale, Spring offer an efficient and simple service that buys any home, in any condition which has helped hundreds of people move onto the next chapter of their lives. Contact us today and find out how we can help.
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