When you’re buying a house, you will need to employ a solicitor to help you with the legalities of the sale. Choosing the right solicitor for buying a house is vital because it’s such an important role. But what does a solicitor do during a house purchase, and how can you make sure that you’ve chosen the right one?
What does a solicitor do during a house purchase?
During a house purchase, a solicitor deals with the conveyancing. This is the legal term for transferring ownership of the property from one person to another. The conveyancing process, from start to finish, has many different elements which the solicitor will manage. These are:
Stage 1 – Agree Sale:
When the sale has been agreed, your solicitor will:
- Arrange searches
- Deal with your mortgage offer
- Request your deposit
- Receive your search results and let you know of any problems
Stage 2 – Exchange Contracts:
- Transfer your deposit to the seller’s solicitor
- Prepare the mortgage deed and the deed of transfer, and ask you to sign them
- Do final searches for debts and bankruptcy
Stage 3 – Completion:
- Request your Stamp Duty funds and arrange payment to HMRC
- Send off application to the Land Registry to register your ownership of the property
- Send deeds to your bank
When such a large amount of money is changing hands, as it does with a property purchase, you need to ensure that you choose a skilled and communicative solicitor to ensure that the process proceeds as smoothly as possible.
Tips for finding the best solicitor for buying a house
- Don’t just go with the one your estate agent recommends. Your estate agent will be getting a commission on any sign ups, and they might not be the best one for you. Do your research first.
- Ask friends/family in the local area for recommendations.
- Ensure you get a range of quotes. Buying a house can be very expensive; you will want a solicitor whose costs are fixed or clear so that you can budget properly. But don’t just go for the cheapest – you want quality too.
- Think about whether you would like to use online or local solicitors. Online are often cheaper than local solicitors, but by choosing a solicitor in your area you can be confident that they have dealt with the estate agent/mortgage provider before and know some of the difficulties that might arise during searches. This can be a huge benefit. You also have the option to visit your solicitor in person, which many people prefer.
Finding the best solicitor near me…
You can use the Law Society website to search for a solicitor near you. Beeston Shenton Solicitors have offices in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Sandbach and Crewe and our dedicated property team will be happy to help you with your purchase. Contact us today.
