If you are buying a property, the Seller will provide a list of all the items they are leaving in the property. They may give you details of items they are prepared to sell and a suggested price. The Seller must ensure that all other items and rubbish are cleared from the house before they hand over the keys. To be safe you should check the property before completion to make sure there are no unwanted items left in the house.
What will the Seller leave in the Property?
What is Help to Buy?
Do I need a Survey?
Do I need to visit your offices or see my conveyancer in person?
What’s the difference between freehold and leasehold?
What’s the difference between joint tenants and tenants in common?
When do I need to arrange buildings insurance?
What is Help to Buy?
The Help to Buy Scheme is a government backed scheme to help people buy a newbuild home without a large deposit. This is currently available to First Time Buyers and those moving up the property ladder. There are pros and cons of buying using a Help to Buy Scheme and you need to look into this carefully before proceeding. Our Newbuild expert Emma Newby can provide advice and assistance if you are buying with a Help to Buy Scheme.
Do I need a Survey?
The purchase of a property is one of the most expensive things you will ever buy. If you are getting a mortgage your mortgage lender will usually do a Mortgage Valuation Survey. This is only to confirm that the property is worth the price you are paying and does not confirm if there are any items of repair required or damage that may affect your decision to proceed. We would recommend that you have a Homebuyers Survey carried out before exchange of contracts. You should ensure that any firm you instruct are registered with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The Homebuyers Survey will identify any works required to the property including structural issues.
Do I need to visit your offices or see my conveyancer in person?
You do not need to visit our offices or meet the Conveyancer acting for you in person. This means we can deal with clients and properties across all areas of England and Wales. All the legal work can be dealt with by e-mail, phone and post. If, however, you live locally to our offices in Leeds then we would offer a very warm welcome if you wanted to call to discuss your case or to sign documents.
What’s the difference between freehold and leasehold?
Freehold means that you own the house and the land the house is on and it is your sole responsibility. A leasehold property is often a flat or maisonette. The Land is usually owned by a landlord or leaseholder who will grant a lease of the property for a set period of time. The Lease will contain details of what you can and can’t do and will detail what costs you may have to pay which may include a ground rent or payment for the maintenance and repair of the shared areas. The Leasehold Advisory Service offers advice and information to owners of leasehold properties https://www.lease-advice.org/
What’s the difference between joint tenants and tenants in common?
There are two ways of owning the property. You can own the property as “Joint Tenants” or “Tenants in Common”. Please see our guide to Joint Ownership, which sets out what this means for you when making a decision on which one to choose. See our guide to joint ownershio of property, here.
When do I need to arrange buildings insurance?
If you are buying a property you usually need to ensure that the buildings insurance is in place on the day that contracts are exchanged. If you are getting a mortgage, then this will be a requirement of your mortgage lender. If the property is damaged for example due to flooding or storms, then you would be responsible for the repairs needed. We will remind you about putting this policy in place when we are ready to exchange contracts.