Residential Conveyancing Solicitors

Every transaction that we carry out, whether it is a sale or purchase, or a remortgage of a property, will be for a fixed conveyancing cost that we agree with you before we start the work. The amount will vary from case to case; some are more straightforward than others. But we promise a competitive rate, and to never bill more than you have agreed to pay.

You can contact one of our conveyancing solicitors at your local Chattertons office.

Between one and three months is about average. That said, things can speed up, or slow down, depending on the type of transaction and the issues involved. Other buyers and sellers and your chain (if there is one) might be working at a different pace, or might hit some hurdles that throw their sale or purchase off track. It is important that your conveyancing solicitor keeps you updated on all of this.

You don’t have to, but we would always advise it. That is because a survey could alert you to actual or potential problems with the property you are looking to buy. In some cases, buyers decide not to proceed with their purchase because of defects identified in surveys, so it really can make a difference.

Commission the most comprehensive survey you can afford (there are different types) taking account of the age and condition of the property and any issues that you ave spotted or which have been brought to your attention. And remember, a buyer’s survey is not the same as the valuation that your mortgage company will ask for; your lender will simply be interested in whether the house holds enough value for your mortgage to be granted, whereas you will want to understand exactly what you could be taking on.

Yes, there are various schemes including Help to Buy ISAs, Shared Ownership, and Equity Loans. And, since Autumn 2017, Stamp Duty is not payable on first-time purchases where the property price is less than £300,000.

The short answer is: not really. There is nothing to prevent either party from pulling out of the sale or purchase up to the time at which contracts are exchanged, which is often quite some way down the line. Once exchange has happened, neither of you can withdraw from the sale or purchase without breaching the contract (and even that is not always enough of a disincentive). It is only once completion has taken place that the deal is finally done and both parties, and their conveyancing solicitors, can relax.