When you are selling your home you want the conveyancing to go through quickly and smoothly. But one of the secrets to quick and successful conveyancing is to do some groundwork first so that your solicitor can do their best for you.
Conveyancing solicitor network Fridaysmove have provided us with some of the insider tips that can help streamline your home move.
Here are some tips to help streamline your move
- Choose a solicitor before marketing your home
- Provide your solicitor with ID documents and confirm instructions
- Make sure you are entitled to sell the property
- Get all paperwork about the property ready
- Complete replies to Pre-contract enquiries promptly
- Make sure you can be contacted and are available to sign documents
Why will following these tips help achieve quick conveyancing?
Choose a solicitor before marketing your home – many sellers don’t bother to instruct a solicitor until a buyer has been found. That immediately causes delays because until solicitors have received instructions they won’t be able to do any work.
If you choose a solicitor before you put the property on the market you have got time to shop around for quotes. You can find a solicitor you like and one who will be able to carry out your conveyancing quickly.
Don’t assume that the solicitors who acted on your purchase will necessarily be able to act on a sale or will be the best to employ.
Instructing a solicitor early on means they can get a lot of the preliminary work done beforehand. So once a buyer has been found the solicitor can immediately send out a comprehensive contract pack to the buyer’s solicitors, which can save weeks of delay.
- Provide your solicitor with ID documents and confirm instructions – Conveyancing solicitors are required to carry out various ID checks before they can do any work for you. Make sure that you send or deliver documents such as passport and driving licence that they ask for. Also remember to confirm the instructions in writing – normally by signing a copy of the initial letter from the solicitors setting out their terms of business
- Make sure you are entitled to sell the property – this might seem like a statement of the blindingly obvious but people who think that they can sell often find that they can’t.
For example if you are selling as the executor of someone who has died you won’t be able to complete the sale until you have got a grant of probate. Or if you are selling on behalf of a relative who is unable to look after their own affairs you may need a Power of Attorney.
If a property is registered in the names of more than one owner then normally all of them will have to agree to the sale and sign the documents. But if one has died or is otherwise not available then other arrangements may be necessary.
Problems like these can delay sales and very often cause buyers to pull out. So instructing a solicitor early on means they can check on title and should be able to sort out any problems in good time.
- Get all paperwork about the property ready – buyers and their solicitors will want a lot of information about the property and will want to see copies of relevant documents. Giving your solicitor all documents relating to the property as early as possible can save a lot of delays.
These days title deeds are rarely necessary as most properties are registered at the Land Registry, but if you do have a bundle of old deeds and documents your solicitor will want to see them.
If you are not instructing the solicitor who acted on your purchase then ask the orginal solicitors to send you any relevant documents which they are still holding.
If you have had any work done at the property for which you obtained planning consent or building regulation approval then dig out the paperwork and copy it to your solicitor.(Please note – if you have had work done which might have needed official approval but you did not contact the council at the time, so not contact the council now. Instead discuss this with your solicitor who will be able to advise on the best course of action.)
Also find any guarantees and other paperwork for any other works such as replacement windows and doors, new boiler, or work to gas and electricity systems.
- Complete replies to Pre-contract enquiries promptly – one of the first things that your solicitor will do is send you some enquiry forms to be completed. Complete them fully and return them promptly to ensure there are no delays. If you need help then contact your solicitor straight away – don’t be frightened to ask.
- Make sure you can be contacted and are available to sign documents – it is frustrating for buyers and everyone else involved in a conveyancing transaction to find that the seller has gone away and can only be contacted, if at all, with great difficulty.
The world may have become a much smaller place thanks to modern technology but important documents still have to be signed personally in order for a sale to be completed. If this cannot be conveniently arranged the sale may grind to a halt and fall through.
If you live abroad or have to travel on business make sure that you can be easily contacted by your solicitor. Also bear in mind that delays may arise if documents have to be posted or couriered to you and that additional charges may be incurred.
