Conveyancing

When you buy, sell or remortgage a property, you are advised to use a conveyancer, employed by a firm of solicitors, or a licensed conveyancer, to look after your interests
and deal with the complex paperwork.

Your conveyancer will take care that all the legal conditions and obligations are met and the new mortgage goes into place without problems. He will also act on behalf of your current lender, making sure your existing mortgage is repaid (if you are not a first time buyer).

During the conveyance, you will be told what is happening, what you have to do next and be given a number of documents to sign and return allowing the next stage to go ahead. It is important to respond to any requests promptly, so that you do not delay the whole process.

It is not unusual for a chain of home movers to be all lined up and ready to go, only to discover that one of them is guilty of dealing with a request to act on something and the whole process grinds to a halt. Don't let it be you. A break in the chain is unpleasant and stressful for all concerned.

Here's a breakdown of what your conveyancer will be doing when you buy:

1. Obtain a purchase contract from the sellers' solicitors, with details of the property and its ownership.
2. Sort out any pre-contract enquires and obtain copies of any existing guarantees, planning consents, etc.
3. Obtain the sellers' fixtures and fittings list to see what they will be leaving in the property, and you will get a copy to check.
4. When your mortgage offer has arrived, he will arrange for you to sign the contract and hand over your deposit for him to hold in readiness for "exchange".
5. When the mortgage conditions have been met and the sellers are ready to proceed, a completion date is agreed that suits everyone in the chain. Contracts can now be exchanged and the transfer deed effected.
6. Once this has been done your conveyancer can call down the mortgage advance from your lender and send you a final completion statement.
7. On completion day, your conveyancer pays the required amount to the sellers' solicitors in exchange for the title deeds. You can now move into your new home.
8. Your conveyancer will now register your name and mortgage at H.M. Land Registry and send the deeds to your lender for them to hold as security for their mortgage advance.