Solicitor for Buying a House

Do you need a solicitor to buy a house?

It isn’t a legal obligation to hire a solicitor. However, a property purchase has many moving parts and it is rarely a good idea to attempt to do it yourself. An experienced solicitor will handle matters such as title investigations, searches, contracts and Stamp Duty Land Tax, and will liaise with estate agents, mortgage providers, the local authority, the Land Registry and other third parties. Hiring a solicitor not only takes away the hassle, but it also gives you peace of mind that you have identified any hidden legal issues and are getting the best deal out of the purchase.

If you are buying a property with the help of a mortgage, then the lender will usually require you to have a conveyancing solicitor in place.

What’s the legal process for buying a property?

The legal process for buying a property can vary slightly depending on the type of property you are buying, but generally follows this order:

• Carry out property searches and investigate any issues
• Check that the seller has good title to sell to you
• Raise any questions with the seller that need to be answered
• Report to you on the legal aspects of the purchase, including the mortgage offer
• Report to your lender
• Negotiate and exchange the contract
• Arrange for you to sign the transfer deed and mortgage documents
• Carry out pre-completion searches to verify the seller’s title has not changed
• Coordinate the completion of the purchase and deal with the transfer of mortgage funds
• Complete a Stamp Duty Land Tax return and pay any SDLT triggered by your purchase
• Register you as the new legal owner with the Land Registry.

As you can see, there are many steps involved in buying a property. It is important to get the advice of an experienced solicitor who can make sure that everything goes smoothly.

What costs are involved with buying a property?

The most obvious cost is the price of the property itself but there are other costs that will need to be taken into account. These costs can include legal fees, surveyor’s fees, mortgage fees, search fees, Land Registry fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax.

Our fixed conveyancing fees cover all the work needed to purchase a freehold property or a leasehold property. We will give you a full breakdown of the costs involved in the purchase at our initial meeting, so you can be sure there will be no hidden charges.

Once we know the value of your property, we are happy to provide you with a bespoke quote, talk you through the process and answer any questions that you might have. Most of this can be done over the telephone and by email, however, if you would like to meet your property lawyer, a face-to-face appointment can be arranged at our Camden or Hampstead Office.

In order to satisfy mandatory money laundering checks, you will need to attend our office so we can certify your documents.

How long will buying a property take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move into your house will depend on a number of factors including whether you are part of a chain. There are often external factors which can delay the process and often the major issue is that exchange of Contracts cannot take place until all parties in the chain are ready. Obviously, the time it takes will depend on the complexity of the matter and the number of parties involved.