Preparing to move home | Residential Conveyancing Solicitors

Following the relaxation of the lockdown provisions, the property market has sprung back into life.  The usual springtime activity was subdued but now we are seeing a frenzy of activity and with the concessions with stamp duty, there is no better time to prepare your home for sale.

There is always lot of advice from property experts on how to achieve the ‘quick sale’ when embarking on the house selling process.  The experts tell you how to present your home in the best way saying “decorate this, paint that, tidy rooms and cupboards and don’t forget the fresh bread, flowers and coffee”.  We are told this all helps when trying to secure a buyer.

There are other things you can also be doing now to help minimise delays in the house selling process when a sale is agreed.

Part of the house selling process involves a seller answering a series of questions contained in a Property Questionnaire which gives the buyer information about the house being sold.  The buyer’s conveyancer may also ask more questions so to create a complete legal picture of the house for the buyer.

Whilst you are spending time getting your home in order decoratively, try to also spend time making sure the house is in order legally.  A lot of valuable time can be saved in the conveyancing process if some simple steps are taken:-

• Instruct your Solicitor as early as you can to prepare the paperwork for the sale of your home;
• Collect together all certificates and guarantees for the house (for instance – timber and damp guarantees, electrical installation certificates, gas installation certificates, FENSA certificates for replacement windows);
• Collect together all planning and building regulation approvals and any drawings and plans if the house has been added to or altered in any way;
• If the home you are selling is a leasehold house or flat, then your solicitor will also have to provide a leasehold pack which contains information about the lease, ground rent and service charge. Most Management Agents will produce a seller’s pack – but will charge for doing so.

Spending time now getting the paperwork together whilst the house is on the market and giving this to your Solicitor may help save time later.

For further advice please contact Thursfields Conveyancing Team on 0345 20 73 72 8, email conveyancing@thursfields.co.uk or visit thursfields.co.uk/conveyancing-calculator for an instant quote of the legal conveyancing costs.