Ask the Legal Expert: How Can I Make My House Move As Efficient As Possible?

Director and Deputy Head of Residential Property Rhian Jervis at JCP Solicitors shares her top tips on making the home-buying process as smooth as possible.

1: Check your conveyancing quote carefully

Conveyancing is the branch of law dedicated to the legal transfer of property ownership, meaning solicitors manage the process of buying and selling homes.

Not all conveyancing quotes will include the same level of detail, so make sure you check exactly what you’re getting for your money. This helps to avoid delays, as you will know up-front the exact services you are receiving – and helps you to understand your legal requirement to pay for services such as mortgage transfer fees and land transaction tax. 

2: Get your documents ready

Now that you’ve checked your conveyancing quotes, you can instruct your chosen solicitors. Doing so before you make an offer can help to cut days, even weeks from the process, as solicitors have a legal obligation to check identification and proof of wealth before any further actions can start.

Make sure you have bank statements ready to prove how you gained your deposit – perhaps through years of savings, gifts from parents, inheritance or otherwise. Also, ensure you have your mortgage offer ready to go. 

Prepare your identification documents too – this can be a driving licence (full or provisional) or passport, and household bills can prove your current address.

3. Reports and enquiries

When you’re buying your new home, make sure you read all your reports and order surveys sooner rather than later. This will help you to flag any issues with the property early in the sale, allowing you to raise enquiries and get them answered by the vendor efficiently.  

4. Management packs

If you’re selling a leasehold property – of which many are flats and new-build houses – make sure you ask for the management pack. Leasehold properties tend to be run by management companies to whom homeowners pay a service fee to maintain shared areas.

Waiting for the management packs can cause delays, so ordering this as soon as you accept an offer on your home can help to cut waiting time before you get the keys to your dream home. 

Find more advice on conveyancing in JCP’s first podcast episode – search ‘Let’s Chat with JCP’ on all major podcasting platforms.

For conveyancing advice get in touch with Rhian Jervis on 03333 208644 or email yourhomemove@jcpsolicitors.co.uk

This content does not constitute legal advice and is provided for general information purposes only.