A guide to buying a property

1. Mortgage

It is important to begin with financial advice to check if you are in a position to obtain a mortgage, preventing any future delays in purchasing a property. The financial advisor would advise on the amount you can borrow enabling you to search for your desired home.
If you don’t know a financial advisor we can recommend one for you.

2. Registering Interest

Please call our office to provide us with your search criteria, e.g Location, price, description of the type of property you are looking for, must haves, etc.
All applicant information is held on our computer data base which enables us to match your requirements with existing and new properties coming onto the market by post, e-mail and SMS text messaging.

3. Viewings

Our office opening hours are Mon-Fri 9.00am – 5.30 pm and Sat 9.00am-1.00 pm However, viewings can be arranged outside of theses hours.

4. Instructing a solicitor

It is important that you instruct an experienced solicitor who specialises in conveyancing to prevent any delays in your purchase. If you don’t know of any, we can recommend one for you.

5. Making an offer

Once you have found a suitable property and make an offer we will confirm your offer in writing to the vendor and may request proof of your mortgage approval prior to agreeing to take the property off the market (some vendors will insist the property is marketed until exchange of contracts).

6. Offer agreed

Once your offer is accepted we will prepare memorandum of sale and write to all parties confirming the agreed price. At this point we will require your solicitors and mortgage advisors details.

7. Conveyancing

As part of the conveyancing process your solicitor will check the following:-
a. Raise any queries on receipt of the draft contract from the vendors solicitor
b. Request their own searches
c. Check the information in the vendors Home Information Pack
d. Agree a date on exchange of contract.

8. Survey

A survey will be carried out on behalf of the Mortgage company to check the value for the property and for any structural problems. (Please note that there are various types of surveys).
Once the valuation report has been received by the Mortgage company a copy will be sent to you and your solicitor which will require signature.

9. Exchange of contract

Your solicitor will exchange contracts once all queries have been satisfied and signed by both parties. Neither party will be able to change their mind after this process has been completed.
A mutual date should then be set for completion.

10. Completion

This is when all monies have been transferred to the vendor’s solicitor who will then instruct the Estate agent to release the keys for collection.