Having the correct information from the beginning is vital to a fast and efficient buying process. Therefore, for the purchase of your new property it is essential to get the correct basic information from you. We will send you a guide to the purchase transaction, our client care letter and some forms to fill in these will consist of:

• Basic client details and confirmation of instructions (this form will also deal with our requirements under the money laundering regulations where we have to verify your identity)
• Details of searches, joint ownership, surveys and insurance
• Detailed quotation of our fee the disbursements and any stamp duty payable together with the amount of money we require from you to undertake the necessary searches

The sooner these are completed and returned to us the quicker we can make progress.

1. We will then write to the agents acting for the seller and the seller’s solicitors, we should then receive a contract package from the seller’s solicitor. This will contain the contract, details of the seller’s title to the property and the standard property questionnaire answers together with details of the fixtures and fittings included in the purchase. We will provide copies of this to you and enquire of you if what has been supplied agrees with your understanding of the property and the agreed purchase. This allows you to raise with us anything that is not as you understood or is not acceptable to you.
2. Searches and Enquires. We will on receipt of cleared funds from you undertake all necessary land searches. The exact searches depends on your requirements, those of any lender you may have funding the purchase and the location of the property. We will raise any further enquiries of the seller we think appropriate or you require us to undertake.
3. Mortgage – if you are having a mortgage for a home we will be sent a copy of your mortgage offer and instructions from the lender as to their general requirements and any specific conditions applicable to your purchase. These are matters that often have to be resolved before an exchange of contracts can take place.
4. Insurance – you will need building insurance for your new home this is often arranged by your lender but if not you will need to arrange this and confirm it to us in writing before we exchange contracts. You should also have insurance to cover the mortgage debt in the event of death and insurance to cover your mortgage payments in the event of illness or unemployment. Our Guide to the Purchase Transaction gives more details of this.
5. Surveys – you are advised to have a detailed survey of the property before you commit yourself to buying rather than rely on any lenders valuation.
6. A contract report will be sent to you prior to exchange which explains the terms of the title, the results of the searches, your mortgage offer terms and the contract and mortgage deed you are being asked to sign. Once you are happy we ask you to sign the contract and return it to us with any deposit that is payable.
7. When all the parties in the ‘chain of transactions’ are ready and a completion date has been agreed we will exchange contracts. This is when you become legally committed to purchase the property and pay for it on the completion date. It is also the date that the ‘risk’ of the property passes to you and therefore you must have your insurance in place.
8. We then arrange for the mortgage funds, prepare a completion statement and inform you what money (if any) we will need from you before completion, undertake all pre-completion searches and ensure all documents are signed in readiness for completion.
9. On the completion day we arrange the transfer of funds and release of keys to you.
10. After completion we will arrange to pay the stamp duty and submission of the Stamp Duty Land Tax return attend to the registration of you as the owner at the Land Registry and any final requirements of your lender.