If you are thinking of buying please contact us to register your requirement, so that we can let you know when a property comes on the market which fits your criteria.
We like to have direct contact with purchasers on the phone, by e-mail, or through accompanied viewings because purchaser's feed back is important to us, and to our vendor clients, and we want to keep up to date if your buying criteria changes.
If you are unsure about the process involved in buying property, you may find the following guide useful.
The Buying Process
Ideally before starting to search for a property you will have consulted a mortgage adviser or broker about what you can afford on mortgage, and you will have obtained an Agreement or Decision in Principle from a Bank or Building Society indicating that subject to formal mortgage application and credit checks, a mortgage might be offered to you. It would also be advisable to have your deposit available in one account, so that you can show to any relevant party that you are able to proceed. If you are a cash buyer it would be appropriate to be able to demonstrate the availability of funds for purchase, if required, at short notice.
Search for a property through estate agents, online, and using local property newspapers. Having found a property, and agreed a purchase price with the vendor's estate agent, you will be obliged to show that you have the financial ability to proceed with the purchase. Agents owe a duty of care to their vendor clients, and it is unlikely that a sale will be agreed with you if there is insufficient financial verification.
If all is in order, you will then need to instruct a solicitor / conveyancer to act on your behalf, and the property you wish to buy will become Sold Subject to Contract to you. You may wish to have a few quotes from solicitors / conveyancers, before coming to a conclusion as to whom to use. Having made a decision you will have to agree formal terms with your solicitor to confirm your instruction to proceed with the legal formalities. You might have to pay money to your solicitor at the start of the process for Local Authority Search fees and Land Registry fees etc to be carried out. Let the estate agent know whom you are using so that the details of the purchase can be put in writing in a Memorandum of Sale to be sent to seller, buyer, and their respective solicitors. The vendor's solicitor will prepare a draft contract for sale and send it to the buyer's solicitor for approval.
If you are taking a mortgage, you will have to submit your formal mortgage application to your chosen Bank or Building Society; you may be using a mortgage adviser or broker to help you with application, or you might be dealing directly with the lender. Usually you will have to pay a survey / commitment fee to the lender at the time your application is made. With regard to survey, you might rely upon a mortgage valuation survey only, or you may wish to have an additional survey, such as a Homebuyers Report, or a Building Survey. Following survey you will receive your Survey Report and usually a formal mortgage offer with terms and conditions explained.
The grant of an offer of mortgage may be subject to you obtaining more information or further reports about a particular issue or defect at the property, or you may have a mortgage offer and your surveyor might recommend that you obtain further reports in connection with the condition of the property before exchanging contracts. You will have to take swift action so as not to hold up the buying process. You might want to discuss the contents of the survey report with the selling agent, who might be able to assist with recommendations for contractors who would undertake any necessary additional surveys on your behalf.
Following receipt of mortgage offer your solicitor / conveyancer will ensure that the various Searches which you will have paid for will have been returned and will make sure there are no outstanding queries on the contract for sale. A contract report is usually prepared for you and you will be asked to sign the contract and make available to your solicitor funds for the payment of the contractual deposit to be paid upon exchange of contracts. An exchange of contracts gives a legally binding commitment between buyer and seller. In the contract there will be a date specified for completion of the contract. On the day specified for completion, the balance of the purchase price will be paid and title to the property will pass from vendor to purchaser, - for most people completion day is the day when you move in and / or move out. Following exchange of contracts you will be able to confirm or book your removals with certainty.
There might be a chain of property sales, above or below the one you are buying, if this is the case, all the properties in the chain have to exchange and complete at the same time.
It is important therefore that you have an understanding of what is happening in the chain, and the best person to help you and to keep you up to date, is your vendor's estate agent.
Do please contact us to let us know about your property requirements. We can also help you with referrals to local mortgage advisers and referrals to local solicitors. Please call us by phone, e-mail, or by pressing the contact button below.
