The Housebuying Process In The UK: How It Happens, What to Do
When buying a house, people frequently lament the length of time the process takes, and naturally ask why. The answer is that all sorts of interested parties (buyer, seller, lender, solicitors, local and national government agencies etc) are involved and several different areas of the law (contract, land law, insurance, tax, planning) are covered.
All of this takes time – and paperwork! Undoubtedly the key advice to first-time buyers who seek a trouble-free buying experience is to place matters in the hands of genuine professional property lawyers with local knowhow.
A decent local solicitor will have both the legal knowledge and the range of contacts to bring the process to a swift and satisfactory conclusion. Once you have secured the mortgage the solicitor will contact your lender, preparing and legal-checking all contracts, supervising the mortgage transfer and dealing with necessary local authority checks. Meanwhile you will arrange for a survey, buy insurance and appoint a removals company. Again, a practised local solicitor will usually be able to advise on these services, or arrange directly on your behalf.
Once all relevant documentation is signed, contracts are exchanged. At this point your lender will release a mortgage advance, a deposit will be lodged with the seller's solicitors and final checks will be conducted. As a buyer your insurance cover should be activated and your removal arrangements confirmed.
A financial statement will be prepared by your solicitor and once a completion date is agreed, you can arrange with the estate agent to collect the keys. Your solicitor will then receive the balance of the mortgage from your lender and transfer these monies to the seller’s solicitors, obtaining title deeds and accompanying documentation in return. You receive any surplus funds you are due to receive from your lender. While you collect the keys and move in, your solicitor will pay any stamp duty owed, register your ownership with the Land Registry and send the title deeds to your lender.
And that’s it: you’re now a homeowner.
