Residential Property

Buying a Home

If you are buying a home, especially for the first time, understandably, you may feel unsure about the processes involved.

We understand the stresses involved and will work closely with you, the estate agent and your mortgage adviser to achieve a smooth and efficient move.

Contact us to speak to one of our experienced property lawyers for friendly, clear and, above all, practical advice. Please call us on 01630 652405 or email us david@onionsanddavies.co.uk 

What is involved in the conveyancing process of buying a home?

• Once your offer is accepted, you should give the estate agent our details. They will subsequently issue a memorandum of sale outlining all the involved parties and ask the seller’s solicitor to produce the contract paper
• These include a draft contract, the property information form and the fixtures and fittings form. Upon receipt, we will forward these documents to you for review and encourage you to share your comments as soon as possible.
• We aim to proactively address as many queries as possible with the seller’s solicitor at this stage to minimise potential delays in the later stages of the transaction.
• If you are buying with the benefit of a mortgage, your mortgage offer will be issued, and the necessary searches will be undertaken. The lender will have carried out a mortgage valuation, but you should also consider having a full survey done.
• Once the search results have been received and all questions stemming from the contract papers and the survey have been satisfactorily answered, a report can be sent to your lender, and contracts can be exchanged. Before exchanging contracts, you have to be sure of everything, including a completion date, because everything becomes legally binding at that point.
• You will probably have to pay a deposit on exchange of contracts and then provide us with the amount of money needed to complete the transaction. You will also have to insure the property from exchange of contracts as you are legally obliged to buy it.
• Between exchange and completion, the transfer or conveyance is drawn up and signed, and the final practical questions regarding keys and moving arrangements are resolved.
• On completion, the money must pass from the top of the chain (the first buyer) to the bottom of the chain (the last seller) and only when each seller’s solicitor can confirm that they have received the money can the keys be released to each buyer.

As you can see, the whole transaction involves a series of stages. Our job is to guide you through those stages, safeguarding your interests by verifying the property value aligns with your investment. At Onions & Davies, we do this by leveraging our vast experience, engaging in consistent and effective communication, and ensuring we ask the right questions to ensure a smooth transaction.

We can also assist you with other matters sometimes associated with property sale and purchase, such as Wills or inheritance and family law disputes, such as divorce, separation, and financial settlements.